Champ Car looking forward to May weekend in Houston

CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES has added to their 2006 schedule a "temporary street course" in the Reliant Center, adjacent to Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

2005 Champ Car powered by Ford champion Sebastien Bourdais has yet to see the streets of Houston, but Newman Haas' "Back to Back" Champion has a choke hold on North America's Premier open wheeled street racing series.

Bourdais and teammate, Oriel Servia placed 1-2 in the points chase going into the this weekend's race at Surfer's Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia. The last race of the season will be in two weeks in Mexico City. Servia supplanted Paul Tracy late in the year for 2nd place. Oriel Servia's '06 season is still uncertain, with his role of mid-season replacement for regular Newman Haas driver Bruno Junquera not translating into a ride just yet. That Servia may finish 2nd is a monumental achievment in itself; that it was Tracy he caught and passed is very revealing. Servia may have done well enough to make Junquera sweat, and I wouldn't have thought that possible soon after Indianapolis, where Bruno tangled with backmarker AJ IV in turn 4, swapped ends and backed it into the wall at 180+mph. His condition hasn't been updated lately, and next year's N/H lineup isn't cemented yet.

Champ Car's spec chassis for 2006 is an all new, Panoz DP 01 built by Elan Motorsports Technologies. Toyota Atlantics will begin their 34th year supporting Champ Car with a new chassis as well, built by Swift, the 016.a to go along with a new 2.3l, 4-cyl Cosworth power plant giving 300 horse power and speed up to 175 mph.

Newly revealed on the Champ Car web site is the addition of Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series to the race weekend at Long Beach, the first race of the season and, although there are no details on their site, the Houston race date coincides with The American Le Mans Series' event, May 12. More details should be forthcoming.

Finally about Champ Car- Since 2004's joint effort of Kevin Kalkhoven, Gerald Forsythe and Paul Gentilozzi to purchase the rights to Championship Auto Racing Teams, Mssrs., Forsythe and Kalkhoven have been busy. They purchased operating rights to Cosworth Racing Interests and cemented Champ Car's power issue for the forseeable future. Also by the active duo was the purchase to the rights to The Grand Prix of Long Beach, assuring the "crown jewel" of Champ Car stays there as well as Forsythe's heavy investment in Mexico's racing venues and their developement, giving Champ Car two dates south of the border, May 22nd in Monterrey and November 6, next week, in Mexico City. Mexican drivers have done well in Champ Car over the years, including some, such as Adrian Fernandez, who've moved on to owning a racing team. Mexico is highly represented in the multi-national field, with Roberto Lavin and Mario Dominguez. Other countries with two drivers are Australia, Brazil and France. Canada has three drivers, with Paul Tracy, Andrew Ranger and "Tag", Alex Tagliani. USA is tops with four drivers competing or in Ryan Hunter-Reay's case, waiting for a ride, Jimmy Vasser, A.J. Allmendinger and newcomer Michael McDowell, a standout from the Toyota Atlantics.

-Katykarter