Life With Champ Car-Colored Glasses

It absolutely is all about Champ Car World Series
or whatever it is powered by, presented by or carried on-air by: Champ Car is back in Houston!!

I can't believe it's finally here, next week, along with American LeMans Series, Champ Cars roar through the streets of Houston, this time at Reliant Center, around the new Reliant Stadium, and old-Astrodome.

Champ Car is, to me, the most elite racers in the United States. The cars are the most powerful on the planet, generating some 900hp on a very light chassis with NO traction control. These drivers are the best. Formula One beckons to all, and several drivers in Champ Car have driven Formula 1 and some will eventually go to F1. Champ Car differentiates itself from the Indy Racing League, another elite open-wheeled racing series, who's goofy marketing scheme this year, "I am Indy" was hatched and presented by metal god and unbalanced-business man, Gene Simmons(What a pathetic display of ineptitude on Dave Despain's show by Simmons, just painful to watch).

While the IRL takes to mostly ovals, Champ Car is almost exclusively temporary street course. Most, though not all, are built on the public streets of the host city, just as is the case in Houston in the past (although it will not affect traffic as radically-this year the track is in the vast parking acreage of Reliant Stadium).

Champ Car Update
Recently, teams recorded data from a testing weekend at Portland International Raceway in Oregon. Fastest on the time charts was Sebastien Bourdais by almost a second over Justin Wilson. Wilson's RuSport car has flirted with the top of the time charts and podiums recently, he and RuSport teammate, A.J. Allmendinger, are the best after Newman/Haas' Bourdais, Junquera and Servia and Team Forsythe with venerable former champion Paul Tracy and Mario Dominguez.

It was reported in the SCCA Southwest Div. publication to members that several Champ Car teams tested at nearby Motorsports Ranch Houston. MSRH is a brand-new, state of the art (in-progress), 2.4 mile permanant road course built south of Houston on a large tract of land in close proximity to Hwy. 288.

In April, though CCWS made no mention of it, Team Forsythe and several other teams tested over several days, and when asked, Paul Tracy, of Team Forsythe complimented the track owners for a demanding, technical road course, with "every type of turn imaginable" represented.

Sebastien Bourdais brings the points lead after victory in Long Beach, and Paul Tracy has the whole season to reel him in.

Fish On!

Karting Note: Scheduled for May 13 & 14, South West Road Racing Association brings its IKF open competition to MSRH. Considering his heavy involvement in karting in the past, and ownership in a line of competitive karts, it's a good bet the above mentioned P.T. will make an appearance trackside one day this weekend. ICC and ICA classes will be represented, and talent of European flavor is always expected.

-Katykarter