Motorsports Reporter

They were running at Mount Tremblant, one of my favorite tracks (although I only drove it once, and made a mess of it then!) It had prospects of being run in the rain, which I always enjoy. (Sadist that I am!)

Only 17 cars entered. Paul Tracy dinged his car in morning practice, and the steering rack they replaced had 2″ of slop … these are NEW spec cars! He started in a back up car from the back of the field. Moved up to top 10 and then blew the engine! A spec Cosworth engine, rev and boost limited. I don’t hear of folks blowing IRL Hondas!

For some reason ChumpCar has decided they need standing starts. One car wouldn’t fire and was still in pits as cars were gridded. Three more stalled on the grid! Now, another feature of the new cars is onboard starters. IMHO, long needed in serious race cars … any Indy or F1 especially! But they proved so unreliable that ChumpCar disconnected them. We were treated to the comical sight of trucks rushing out onto the grid with yellow tow straps to pull start the stationary cars.

The race was a comedy. Bad strategy abounded, and the rain was a maddening drizzle, with some parts of track staying dry. Bourdais ran off the track, seemingly by himself, and most who tried to lead did the same. Graham Rahal’s team kept him on track with slicks after most changed in a shower created yellow (yellow because it’s raining!!!) and they tried to stay out, planning on one less pit stop. He kept it on the track and in the lead, but the car died in pits. Then the plug in starter wouldn’t engage for long minutes. Another in a litany of specified parts that don’t work reliably!

F1 refuge Dornbos won, and when interviewed the French Champ berated him for some unexplained reason. The crowd booed him … the French-Canadian crowd! For dissing a Dutchman. Pretty sad!