Backstretch Motorsports

McDonald's® driver Sebastien Bourdais finally won the Generac Grand Prix at Road America after competitive and even dominant runs in each of his three other races at the four-mile permanent road course. In his three previous races where he finished second once and third twice, strategy and the timing of caution periods dictated the end result but the fourth time proved the charm today as Bourdais only relinquished the lead for two laps during pit stop cycles and the only caution period of the race came out for a Lap 1 accident in the back of the field. The win enabled Bourdais to increase his slim pre-race 12 point advantage over second place Robert Doornbos to 37 after the Dutchman encountered problems and finished 14th. Will Power, who was ranked third in the championship standings also had problems and retired in 16th due to gearbox failure and now trails Bourdais by 53 points. Bourdais earned the maximum amount of points available after setting the fastest time in Friday and Saturday's qualifying sessions, winning the race and setting the fastest lap. He took the checkered flag 9.7 seconds ahead of second place Dan Clark and third place Graham Rahal. Bourdais' 28th Champ Car victory was also the 10th for the team at this track as well as their 102nd overall.

Minardi Team USA experienced a bittersweet victory with the second place finish of the dark horse, 'Speedy' Dan Clarke today at the Champ Car Generac Grand Prix at Road America. Though it was a race finish that everyone knew was coming with the great drive by 'Speedy,' his teammate Doornbos did not fare as well, eventually being classified fourteenth.

'Speedy' didn't have the greatest start, falling back to eleventh from his eighth place starting position. He pitted under the full-course yellow conditions on the second lap and came back out to take the green in twelfth. He put on a fresh set of the black Bridgestone tires, and made his way through the field. He was consistently the fastest car on the track, and worked his way up to the fourth position. On lap twenty-five, Dan and slowing team mate Doornbos made contact going into turn five, which took off Doornbos' front wing. Dan continued in third place right behind Rahal. After assessing that his car wasn't damaged, he settled in and drove an amazing race. The Number 4 Crew had remarkable pit stops and gained a position in the pits to come out ahead of Rahal to put Dan in second place. He then put his head down and drove a clean, steady race to bring home his best Champ Car finish to date.

Oriol Servia and Forsythe Championship Racing managed to turn a difficult weekend into a successful result after climbing from a 14th starting position to fourth at the Champ Car Generac Grand Prix at Road America. Teammate Paul Tracy was involved in a first lap incident which damaged his car, the 2003 Champion had to hustle his way through the rest of the race with a mangled race car but still went on to finish 11th.

After pitting during an early yellow to top off with fuel, Servia started his charge to the front with extremely quick laps and picked off his competitors one by one. After his second pit stop on lap 15 he was already up to fifth position. For the rest of the race he kept improving his lap times and eventually turned the third fastest lap of the race (1m45.290s) and also picked up one point for gaining the most positions, which ties him for fifth in the Championship with Graham Rahal.

Tracy's weekend frustration and bad luck continued on lap one when Simon Pagenaud landed on his sidepod after colliding with another car. The incident damaged Tracy's left sidepod and underwing causing handling problems for the rest of the race. Despite the problems he still managed to drive to an 11th place finish.

August 10, 2007 — It was announced today that Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR) driver Sebastien Bourdais will join the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team in 2008.  Bourdais was contracted to NHLR through 2008 but the team has released him from his contract so that he can pursue his dream of racing in F1.

Bourdais joined Newman/Haas Racing in 2003 as the reigning F3000 champion and went on to become the Champ Car World Series Rookie of the Year after earning three wins, five poles and seven top-three podium finishes.  He followed that up with three consecutive championships for the McDonald’s team in 2004, 2005 and 2006.   So far in 2007, he has brought Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing four wins, including their 100th and 101st , three poles, set the fastest race lap in six out of nine events and is currently leading the series point standings.  He has earned 27 wins, 28 poles and 40 podium finishes in his 68 Champ Car starts to date.

Following are quotes from Bourdais and NHLR team owners:

 SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, driver of the No. 1 McDonald’s race car and three-time Champ Car Champion: 

“I have had the best years of my racing career with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.  We have accomplished many things including three championships, and many victories and poles along the way and I hope to accomplish more yet this season.  Now I feel it is time for me to go after another challenge.  I have had a very good experience with Toro Rosso while testing the car, and I hope to continue that.  I would like to thank Carl, Paul, Mike and the whole team for supporting my decision.  Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing has always been like a family to me.  I also want to give a special thanks to the whole McDonald’s crew for everything they have done for me.  We have grown up and elevated ourselves together and I’ll never forget that.”

PAUL NEWMAN, co-owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing:

“He’s made his point.  We’re going to miss him fiercely but moving on is the right thing for him right now.”

CARL HAAS, co-owner owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing:

"Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing has agreed to allow Sebastien Bourdais to pursue his lifelong goal of racing in Formula One.   Sebastien and Newman/Haas joined forces in 2003, where he finished fourth in points and then proceeded to win championship in 2004, 2005 and 2006.  For 2007, the team is committed to helping Sebastien become the first Champ Car driver ever to win four championships in a row.  Working with Sebastien has been great for the team and I wish him similar success in the future.”

MICHAEL LANIGAN, co-owner of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing:

“I wish Sebastien all of the best as he realizes his life long goal of running in Formula One.  Three consecutive championships aside, Sebastien’s daily performance, both on and off of the track, along with his contribution to the entire team stands as a testament to his dedication to the sport.  We will miss him.”

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August 1, 2007San Jose, California – For Raphael Matos (#6 ProWorks) and the Sierra Sierra team, the San Jose Grand Prix was a dream come true.  There was no better place to clinch the 2007 Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda series than in front of the hometown crowd, including many from ProWorks (www.pro-works.com), the team’s Santa Clara based sponsor. 

 The San Jose Grand Prix has been a strong venue for Matos.  In the 2006 season it was the location of his first Atlantic career win.  Coming back this year it was poised to be another career changing event.  On the heels of back-to-back wins in Edmonton, Matos knew going into the race that he had a chance of clinching the championship.  After two caution-flag filled qualifying sessions, Matos started the race in fourth and was able to advance to third at the start.  Despite giving that position back to Robert Wickens (#3 Red Bull/INDECK) at a late race restart, he finished fourth but secured the championship.

 With Round 12 representing a total of 34 points available, Matos clinched the series championship and the $2 million prize toward a 2008 Champ Car World Series ride with a 36 point lead over Franck Perera (#11 CJ Motorsport/Continental Cartage Inc).  With just one race to go, Matos reflects on his win:

 “This is a dream come true.  The team and I worked very hard this year and last year to get here and I can’t thank them enough.  The Sierra Sierra team gave me such a great opportunity and I will always appreciate them for putting me in this car.  They have been like family to me.”

 James Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks) did not have as much luck in San Jose after making contact with the wall to avoid contact with another car.  Hinchcliffe did not finish the race and looks to improve his points standings at the upcoming season finale Road America race (August 10 – 12).  Hinchcliffe currently holds fourth in the championship point’s race.

 Matos’ win represents the first Atlantic series championship for the Sierra Sierra team who had come in second in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.  In 2007, a combination of teamwork, skill and speed created a winning combination that the team is proud of.    From Team Owner, Stacey Behrendt:

 “This has been an amazing year.  We have such a strong team – crew, drivers and engineers.  I want to thank everyone involved for their dedication, hard work and perseverance.   We struggled a bit last year but took away what was good and applied it this year to create the winning formula.  Not only has this season been successful in terms of wins, it has been a lot of fun!”

 The San Jose Grand Prix will be broadcast on ESPN2, August 3rd at 5:30 p.m. ET.

 The 2007 Champ Car Atlantic Championship series finale will take place August 10 – 12 at the Road America Circuit at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

 For more information about Sierra Sierra Enterprises and their drivers, please visit

www.sierrasierra.comwww.hinchtown.comwww.rafamatos.com

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SAN JOSE — Exciting action highlighted provisional qualifying for the San Jose Grand Prix at Redback Raceway as Sebastien Bourdais (#1 McDonald's Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) moved from 17th on the time sheets to first with one fast lap around the 1.443-mile circuit in the heart of downtown San Jose.

With only fifteen laps to establish his time in qualifying, Bourdais waited until his 14th orbit before claiming his sixth front row starting spot with a lap of 49.509 seconds (104.926 mph). Brake bias problems haunted the McDonald's driver during qualifying, forcing him into more than one runoff. When he was able to get a clear lap, the problem faded and the three-time champion drove to the top of the speed charts.

Sebastien Bourdais, No. 1 McDonald's Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone: "The first run I spent more time on the escape road than on the track. We have a brake issue, we know that. But we didn't have any time to fix it at lunchtime. We have variable brake values that keeps on tricking me; one locks the rears and one locks the fronts, and I'm still not changing anything. It's very difficult out there. On the second run we were just trying to find the gap, and every time we had something, where we were like, 'Yeah, it's going to be all right,' then someone would run in escape road and someone would end up backing off, so we couldn't do that. I finally got one opportunity and I still don't know quite how it worked out, but we made it stick, and the brake values didn't play any tricks with me, so I was pretty happy about the outcome because it didn't look really good for the McDonald's team for a long, long time."

For most of the session it looked like Justin Wilson (#9 CDW Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) and Will Power (#5 Aussie Vineyards Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) would battle for the provisional pole. Power and Wilson traded shots at each other, each holding the top spot twice during the session while Bourdais was stymied at the back of the field. Wilson would hold on for the second spot after a best lap of 49.747 seconds (104.424 mph). Power, who is coming off of his worst finish of the season, after having a mechanical failure in Edmonton would end today's qualifying in third with a best lap of 49.882 seconds (104.267 mph).

Justin Wilson #9 CDW Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone:"I think we're just starting to find our speed and work things out. It was quite a difficult start to the year with all the changes going on, but we've managed to work through that and try and understand what this car needs. I'm pleased that we're making progress and we can do it on the street circuit this year, which is quite nice compared to the last couple of seasons. The first run I thought that the #9 CDW car was feeling good, despite not knowing for sure because my dashboard was not working. So, I didn't know what lap time I was doing, apart from every now and then what the team would tell me over the radio. I felt like I had plenty left over to go in the second run, but for some reason the car just didn't feel as good and it was bouncing a lot more over the bumps. It was quite frustrating that we couldn't carry a bit more speed and get more lap time out of it during that second stint. We've just got a little bit more work to do and hopefully get the # 9 CDW car right up there and qualify on the pole tomorrow."

Will Power - #5 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01:"There is no doubt it is going to be quicker tomorrow and it never rains in San Jose," said Power."Unfortunately we had the car for provisional pole today, but we could not get a clear lap and (Sebastien) Bourdais grabbed the pole and an extra point.We still have two sets of red tyres for tomorrow so we just need to ensure we get good track position and make use of them."

Tying for fourth during the qualifying session were Bruno Junqueira (#19 Sonny's Bar-B-Q Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) and Alex Tagliani (#8 LXN2 Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone) who both posted a time of 49.852 seconds (104.204 mph). Junqueira has qualified in the top-six during the last two races and earned the fourth spot in qualifying based on his second fastest lap in the session. Tagliani was then slotted into the fifth spot.

Indianapolis, IN - With nearly half the 2007 Champ Car World Series season completed, Minardi Team USA heads into round eight - the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton - with driver Robert Doornbos in the lead of the Championship. Doornbos and sophomore team mate, 'Speedy' Dan Clarke, had what might best be described as "a challenging weekend" in Toronto, but are looking to shine in the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Robert Doornbos captured his first Champ Car victory just over two weeks ago, in Mont-Tremblant, and claimed the Championship lead following a treacherous race in the rain last weekend on the streets of Toronto. The "Fliegande Hollander" (Flying Dutchman) will be in top form once again for this challenging, 1.93-mile airport circuit, and is ready to defend the Championship lead.

Robert Doornbos #14

"I've heard a lot of good things about Edmonton from other drivers, who say it's a very fast and physically demanding circuit, so this sounds good to me! I'm very much looking forward to racing again, as we are now in the lead of the Championship, and this is a big motivation for everybody on the team. We need to keep working hard to make sure we have a strong and competitive weekend in Edmonton, and for the rest of the season as well."

So far, 'Speedy' Dan's race results have not been indicative of the young Briton's undoubted capabilities, and at the mid-point of the season, he continues to push hard in a bid to turn things around. Ever the optimist, Speedy feels that both he and the team are improving with every race, and he will be looking to have a break-out performance at Edmonton. Last year, Speedy started seventeenth on the grid, but registered a feisty performance to fight his way up to ninth, despite contact with another car and a drive-through penalty. In doing so, he became the competitor to make the biggest improvement in track position during the race.

'Speedy' Dan Clarke #4

"We've come so close to having some great results in the past few races that confidence is high in the team that we can do well. Now I've had over a week back in Indianapolis to train hard and address any issues, I feel relaxed, prepared and ready to hit the ground running in Edmonton."

Keith Wiggins, Team Co-owner

"As we head into the second half of the season it is important that we keep focused and working hard on performance and consistency. Edmonton and San Jose will be important races psychologically, and ones I think we can do well at with both cars."

Paul Stoddart, Team Co-owner

"We always knew this five-race stretch, starting in Cleveland and concluding in San Jose, would form the core of the 2007 Champ Car season, and that it would be essential to be as quick and consistent as possible. Robert has done just that, and now leads the Championship standings, albeit by a small margin. As both Robert and the team well know, however, it is still all to play for, and they will therefore concentrate on producing the best possible performance at each of the coming events. Since Portland, Dan has been very much up to speed, but so far, circumstances haven't allowed him to achieve the sort of results of which he is more than capable. I'm sure that is set to change soon, however, and everyone on the team will be doing their utmost to help him make the breakthrough at Edmonton."

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PKV RACING LOOKING TO CONTINUE RISE IN STANDINGS THIS WEEKEND AT REXALL GRAND PRIX OF EDMONTON

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - - JULY 19, 2007 - - PKV Racing driver Neel Jani will be looking to continue his rise in the championship standings while teammate Tristan Gommendy will attempt to get back into the top-10 in the points this weekend at the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton, July 20-22, on the temporary airport circuit at City Centre Airport, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

This weekend's race is the third consecutive race in Canada and the finale of the Canadian Triple Crown. It also marks the halfway point of both the 2007 Champ Car World Series season and is the fourth of a grueling five races in a six week segment that has begun to define and separate the contenders from the rest of the field in the championship race.

Jani has really come on the last three races. Prior to Cleveland, Jani, who drives the #21 Red Bull Gulfstream PKV Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone machine, was 12th in the standings and 10 points out of 10th place. After finishing in the top-six the last three events including two podium performances, he is currently seventh in the championship standings and third in the Roshfrans Rookie of the Year race, with 116 points, and just 11 points out of fifth place. The 23-year-old native of Jens, Switzerland has finished in the top-10 five times in the first seven races of this season with the two podiums, a season high second in Toronto and third in Cleveland. The two podium performances sandwich a sixth place showing in Mont-Tremblant. He has also placed seventh at Long Beach, where fueling problems, and 10th in Las Vegas, mechanical failure, prevented top-five finishes. Jani was also looking at a top-five showing in Houston, but was knocked from the competition while running fourth and eventually finished 15th. Only in Portland, where he finished 12th, but was running as high as eighth, has Jani not been in contention. Jani, whose father hails from India, has qualified in the top-10 five times in seven tries. He started a season high fourth in Houston, sixth in Mont-Tremblant, ninth in Las Vegas and Toronto and 10th in Portland (11th in Cleveland and Long Beach). Jani, who has been a member of the Red Bull driver development program since 2005 and was a test driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One Team in 2006 is sixth in both laps completed (527 out of a possible 566) and miles completed (1081.284 out of a possible 1156.286).

"The Red Bull Gulfstream PKV Racing team has had some good results in the last three races, which have moved us up in the standings," Jani said. "We have definitely improved the car, especially on the street circuits, and I think our results show it. We are not where we want to be or expect to be. We have some podium finishes, but have not won yet. Edmonton will be the half way point in the season, so we cannot relax. We have to keep working hard, keep improving and keep putting up good results," he said. "I am looking forward to racing in Edmonton. It is another airport street circuit like Cleveland where we finished on the podium. Hopefully, we can improve on that result this weekend."

Gommendy, who, like his teammate is a Champ Car rookie, but a veteran of European open wheel racing, but, unlike his teammate has struggled a bit in the last few weeks. Other than one bright spot, a pole at Mont-Tremblant, which was nullified when the #22 Pay By Touch MegaSpirea PKV Racing Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone car experienced an electrical problem and failed to start, Gommendy has DNF'd in the other two events dropping him from ninth in the championship race, 13 points out of fifth, to 13th in the standings 11 points out of tenth. Gommendy has finished in the top-10 twice in the first seven races this year with a best showing of fifth in his Champ Car debut in Las Vegas. His other finishes, a seventh in Portland, 12th in Mont-Tremblant after an electrical problem nullified his starting position, 11th at Long Beach, 13th at Houston and Cleveland and a season low 15th at Toronto. At both Long Beach and Houston, Gommendy engaged in spirited battles for the lead with three-time Series Champion Sebastien Bourdais before making late race stops for fuel. The personable and talented 27-year-old resident of Paris, has qualified in the top-10 four times in seven attempts this year with the one pole, just the second pole in PKV Racing history and first on a road course (made him just the third Champ Car rookie to capture a pole since 2001). In addition, Gommendy has qualified fifth in Portland, eighth in Houston and ninth in Long Beach (11th in Las Vegas, 12th at Cleveland and 14th in Toronto). Gommendy, who won the 2002 Formula 3 France championship and the prestigious Formula 3 Macau GP race also in 2002, is sixth in laps led (31), 11th in laps completed (427) and miles completed (891.671) and ninth.

Commenting on the last three events, Gommendy said, "The last three races have been disappointing for the Pay By Touch MegaSpirea team. Except for Mont-Tremblant, where we won the pole, we have not qualified where we should and in the races we have had some unfortunate incidents. Every team goes through a period like this during the season. We just have to keep working hard and things will go our way. We need to focus on one race at a time beginning this weekend in Edmonton."

PKV Racing will be making its eighth and ninth starts while contesting its fifth race in Toronto this weekend. The team has qualified in the top-10 three times in seven attempts with a best starting position of fifth by Oriol Servia last year. They have finished in the top-10 twice in their previous seven starts with a best showing of second by Jimmy Vasser in 2004 (Vasser was fourth in 2005).

PKV Racing made its fifth and sixth starts while contesting its third race in Edmonton. The team has qualified in the top-10 three times in four previous attempts with a best starting position of fifth by Cristiano da Matta at the inaugural event in 2005 and Oriol Servia last year. They have one top-10 finish a fourth place showing last year by Servia.

The Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton, Round #8 of the 2007 Champ Car World Series season, will be held July 20-22, on the temporary circuit at City Centre Airport in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The race will be televised live on ESPN at 4:00 p.m. (ET).

PKV Racing Season Stats:

For the season PKV Racing drivers have qualified in the top-10 nine times in 14 attempts with one pole, by Gommendy at Mont-Tremblant. They have finished in the top-10 seven times with two podiums both by Jani (second in Toronto and third in Cleveland).

About PKV Racing:

Founded in January 2003, Indianapolis-based PKV Racing (PK Racing was established in 2003 with a different ownership group) will contest its fifth season of competition during the 2007 Champ Car World Series season. PKV Racing is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven, who also co-owns the Champ Car World Series, along with 1996 Series Champion Jimmy Vasser, who last drove a Champ Car at Long Beach on April 9, 2006 and is now deeply involved in team operations and mentoring the team's two rookie drivers. PKV Racing has earned one victory, by Cristiano da Matta in Portland in 2005, and two poles, by Tristan Gommendy in Mont-Tremblant this year and Jimmy Vasser in Milwaukee in 2005. For more information visit: www.pkvracing.com  

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POWER EYES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AS PAGENAUD RETURNS TO HAPPY HUNTING GROUND IN EDMONTON

Team Australia is on the attack ahead of the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton as Round 7 of the Champ Car World Series is held in Edmonton, Canada this weekend.

After winning the last round of the championship in Toronto, Australian ace Will Power is out to maintain his forward momentum and improve on his second place in the series standings with a strong result on the fast and demanding Edmonton airport layout.

Power lies just two points behind series leader Robert Doornbos, with defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais just one point behind Power in third, making this weekend's Edmonton event a crucial one for the championship heading into the second half of the season.

Edmonton holds fond memories for Team Australia rookie Simon Pagenaud. The Frenchman collected his and Team Australia's first victory in last year's Champ Car Atlantic race at Edmonton. Pagenaud and Team Australia then went on to win the championship before reuniting in the top-flight Champ Car World Series in 2007.

Pagenaud has been a rising star over the last few rounds and is showing speed that indicates he is on the verge of joining Power as a consistent front-runner in Champ Car. It could be Edmonton, the scene of Pagenaud's fine Atlantic victory in Aussie Vineyards colours 12 months ago, which sees Pagenaud score his first Champ Car podium.

Team Australia also enter this weekend's event leading the Canadian Triple Crown standings as that title enters it's final event. The three-race award, held over three Canadian venues on very different circuits, tallies the average finishing position for each team from the flowing road course at Mont Tremblant, the tight and technical Toronto street circuit and the fast and demanding Edmonton airport circuit.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY …

Will Power - #5 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01

"I feel very confident going to Edmonton," said Power.

"It's definitely the type of circuit that suits my style, but this year that has meant absolutely nothing. We will go there and do the best job that we can and fight for the championship.

"At tracks where we thought we would be strong we haven't been, but that adds to the unique style of Champ Car and the kind of racing fans like to see, anything can happen.

"For me, this is a track that I do really enjoy and Edmonton was the start of some really good results for me and I look forward to it.

"The goal is to get another pole position, put a whole weekend together of good racing and qualifying, and to bring home the Canadian Triple Crown trophy."

Simon Pagenaud - #15 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01

"Going back to Edmonton brings back a lot of good memories for me," said Pagenaud.

"I earned my first win in the U.S. and in Atlantics there last year and I'm delighted to go back. It's a great crowd and I always love racing in Canada.

"Edmonton is a very fast, technical track and my Team Australia crew has given me a great Aussie Vineyards car. Hopefully I can bring home a podium finish this weekend and write our names on the Canadian Triple Crown trophy.

"We have a great advantage because we are leading the Triple Crown and hopefully we can bring that honour home as well."

Derrick Walker - Team Australia Co-Owner

"Edmonton represents a very important event on the calendar in two ways," said Walker.

"One, it's the third and final round of the Canadian Triple Crown, which we are trying to capture as a team in the first year. Secondly, the championship is back.

"We have at least four drivers who are so close with the championship and at the midseason point of the year, every race is critical to maintain your reach of winning the championship.

"Edmonton is good for us, I think our cars at past events that have been similar to Edmonton have been very favourable, the only bad news is, since then there have been two or three drivers that have really good cars at a similar like tracks.

"It's not so good news for us, but great news for the fans, so it should be a really well contested race."

Craig Gore - Team Australia Co-Owner

"Edmonton is a really important event for Team Australia," said Gore.

"Will and the entire Aussie Vineyards team have worked very hard and closing the gap to the championship lead and now we are right in the middle of a three-way fight for the title.

"Momentum is on our side heading into Edmonton, which is a very fast and demanding circuit, so it's vital that we continue to work hard at improving our package.

"Simon has been superb this year in our #15 Aussie Vineyards car and Edmonton is a special place for both he and Team Australia, as it is the place where he won both his and Team Australia's first Atlantic race last season.

"He has been so impressive so far this season, so while the focus is clearly on the top three in the championship, Simon could be the real dark horse heading into this weekend."  

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WILSON READY TO DEFEND 2006 WIN; TAGLIANI HOPING FOR BETTER RESULTS IN EDMONTON    RSPORTS ready to take over the Canadian Triple Crown Title as racing north of the Boarder wraps up this weekend in Edmonton  EAST LANSING, Michigan (July 18, 2007) - The RSPORTS team gears up for its final race in 2007 north of the border on a track that holds high anticipation for top results with drivers Justin Wilson, the defending Edmonton race winner, and Alex Tagliani, a Canadian fan-favorite, this weekend in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Last year's run for Wilson in the #9 CDW Champ Car resulted in a win, marking his first victory in 2006. After two podium finishes this year, the Englishman is looking for his first win in 2007, hoping that it will come this weekend and crown him as the back-to-back Edmonton champion. RSPORTS teammate, Tagliani, driver of the #8 Tide@Wal-Mart Victory Lap Charity Program car, heads to Edmonton looking for a clean slate on home soil. His last two runs in Canada have resulted in double top-eight results, but the Quebec-native is hoping to finish racing in Canada this season with a higher result - a podium, if not a win - for his Canadian partners and fans.

The 2007 Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton marks the third time that the Champ Cars will take flight on the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada City Centre Airport - Rexall Speedway. This is one-of-two events that Champ Car has on the 2007 schedule contested on temporary tracks laid out on airport runways. Edmonton was perhaps Champ Car's top success story in 2005. The first-year event drew more then 200,000 fans for the three-day event, setting a Champ Car record for a Canadian race. The wide-open track features high speeds, with speeds on the straightaway of the 1.96-mile track exceeding 200 mph, and several turns offer prime overtaking opportunities. The narrowest point on the track is 50-feet wide, while a majority of the track surface is 75-feet wide. This specifically-built FIA road course is one of the most fan-friendly circuits in the Champ Car World Series. 80% of the track can be easily seen from anywhere in the stands, which gave the massive Edmonton crowd a better look at Justin Wilson's 2006 victory.

With both RSPORTS drivers sitting top five in the Champ Car championship standings, together they sit second in the Champ Car Canadian Triple Crown Standings. Wilson and Tagliani, who with their third and eighth positions in Toronto moved up from third to second place with an average finish of 6. The Champ Car Canadian Triple Crown is a team competition pitting teams against each other over the three Canadian events on the 2007 Champ Car schedule. The standings for the Triple Crown are based on the combined average finish for each team over the three races with the winning team receiving a traditional Canadian Inuit Carving along with a variety of Canadian themed rewards.

Fast Facts· Round 7 of the 2007 Champ Car World Series was contested in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto saw Justin Wilson score his second podium in 2007 with a third-place finish, while Alex Tagliani rounded out a top-eight effort for RSPORTS by finishing the eventful race in the eighth spot.

· Both RSPORTS drivers currently rank in the top five of the 2007 Champ Car World Series championship. Justin Wilson currently sits fourth in the Champ Car 2007 championship standings with a total of 138 points. He trails current leader, Robert Doornbos, by 26 markers. Alex Tagliani currently sits fifth, with a total of 127 points.

· Alex Tagliani, driver of the #8 Tide@Wal-Mart Victory Charity Program/RSPORTS Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone, started his Champ Car career in 2000. This season marks his eighth year of competition. He will attempt to make his 125th start this weekend when he takes the Green Flag in Edmonton. He has recorded one win, five poles, and 14 podiums.

· Tagliani's best start this season is fourth, which he has accomplished three times this season after seven events. Tagliani has finished in the top ten in seven events, with his best finish of 4th in Las Vegas.

· Tagliani is looking for a good result this weekend in Edmonton, as it is the last of three races that will be contested in Canada for the Champ Car World Series in 2007. The French-Canadian's best start this season on home soil was sixth, in Toronto. His best and only finishing result in Canada is eighth, in which he earned in Mont-Tremblant and Toronto. He is hoping to finish the Canada Champ Car tour off on a good note, looking for more positive results this weekend.

· Tagliani has not had his share of good luck in Edmonton during his past two starts. In 2006, the Canadian started 11th and finished 12th due to contact. Tagliani tangled with Sebastien Bourdais late in the race, which sent him into the wall. Tagliani was able to reach the pits and his team repaired the front end, allowing Tagliani to finish the race. In 2005, Tagliani had a fair start in the sixth spot, and only lost one position to finish seventh overall.

· There have been seven events up to this point in the 2007 Champ Car World Series and RSPORTS driver Alex Tagliani is the only Champ Car driver this season that has finished every race in the top ten. His best finish of fourth was recorded at Las Vegas.

· Consistency and reliability from the RSPORTS team has seen Alex Tagliani finish 564 out of 566 possible laps this season. He sits second to Will Power, who has been able to log one more lap. Up until Toronto, Tagliani was the only driver to have completed every lap this season.

· Justin Wilson, driver of the #9 CDW Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone, started his Champ Car career in 2004. This season marks his fourth year of competition in the US-based series. In 46 Champ Car starts, Wilson has earned three wins, five poles, and 12 podiums. Wilson was the runner-up in the 2006 Champ Car championship standings, finishing second, and was the 2006 recipient of Champ Car's prestigious Greg Moore Legacy Award that recognizes success and sportsmanship on and off the race track.

· Wilson's best start of the season was the pole in Portland, Oregon, in addition to his most recent front row start in Toronto where he qualified 2nd. The Englishman has qualifying in the top ten in each event this year, and has finished in the top five in five of seven starts. Wilson has earned two podiums (Portland and Toronto) this season.

· The Englishman, Wilson, has started in the top three in both previous Edmonton events. He started third in 2006 and finished first, in 2005 Wilson started on the front row in the second spot, finishing fourth.

· Wilson is the defending race winner, when he took the checkered flag in 2006 for the win in the #9 CDW Champ Car. The race length was 85 laps, 167.705 miles. The margin of Victory for Wilson was 5.319 seconds.

· Wilson is no stranger to leading the Champ Car field at the Finning International Speedway in Edmonton. In 2006, he paced the field twice, from laps 54-60, and then again from laps 65-85. In 2005, Wilson ran four laps up front during laps 49-52.

· During his victory run in 2005, Wilson recorded the fastest Edmonton race lap, posting a time of 59.200 (119.980 mph).

· The back luck that Wilson had when the season kicked-off seems to be wearing away, as Wilson has finished the last four races top five or better. He earned two podium finishes (Portland - 2nd, Toronto, 3rd), a fourth-place result in Cleveland and a fifth-place finish in Mont-Tremblant. Since the last four races, Wilson was sitting 8th in the championship standings, and now has moved up to the fourth spot. He will be one to keep an eye on for the remainder of this season, especially in Edmonton.

MCDONALD'S® DRIVER BOURDAIS AND MEDI | ZONE DRIVER RAHAL HOPE SECOND HALF OF SEASON SEES THEM POST CONSISTENTLY-STRONG FINISHES BEGINNING WITH THIS WEEKEND'S REXALL GRAND PRIX OF EDMONTON     EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (July 19, 2007) — As the Champ Car World Series embarks on Round 8 of 16 at the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton this weekend, McDonald's® driver Sebastien Bourdais finds himself in unusual territory while ranked third in the series standings after three "Did Not Finish's" (DNF's) in the seven races thus far. His third DNF came at the previous race in Toronto when Robert Doornbos hit him from behind causing his race to end in the tire wall while Doornbos was able to continue on to finish sixth and take over the points lead by three over Bourdais (164-161) and two over Toronto winner Will Power (162).

Not including his ranking of 13th and third after Rounds 1 and 2 this season, the last time Bourdais was ranked anything but first or second was in his first championship-winning season in 2004 when he was ranked fourth for one event after Round 3 of the season on the Milwaukee oval. He moved up to third, then second before regaining the lead three races later and went on to win his first title. Despite the fact that his three DNF's in the seven races so far this season nearly reach his total of four in the past three years combined (2004-2006), Bourdais is optimistic that the team will continue to be consistently competitive for the remainder of the season.

"It seems like every year it's a three man battle and it looks that way again with Doornbos, Power and myself," said Bourdais. "It is tight and intense and will probably go this way until the end. A lot of things can happen but that's what the championship fight looks to be shaping up as. We will keep on plugging away and doing our job and hopefully we'll manage to get it done. Our strength has been to try to keep the same intensity throughout the whole race season and not being particularly better at one event than the other, just always being there. Obviously we've had our share of DNF's this season which isn't ideal. We would like to not have any in the second part of the season. We can't really afford any more DNF's. We'll see what happens and hopefully we'll have a better second half of the season."

Bourdais won the inaugural event here in 2005 after starting tenth and looked like a strong bet again last year after he started from pole and led 55 of 85 laps on the 1.973-mile temporary street course at Edmonton's City Centre Airport in Western Canada. Unfortunately the handling of the race car went away midrace and Justin Wilson dropped Bourdais to a second place finish.

"The McDonald's car was really awesome with really good handling to start with last year in the first stint but when we put on the standard Bridgestone tires the balance of the race car went away from us," recalled Bourdais. "I just watched Justin (Wilson) disappear from us in the distance."

Round 8 in Edmonton is the third and final event of Champ Car's "Canadian Triple Crown" and a trophy will be given to the team averaging the best finishing position over the three events disputed north of the US border (Mont Tremblant, Toronto). Team Australia's Will Power and Simon Pagenaud are sitting at the top of the triple crown standings while RSPORTS teammates Alex Tagliani and Justin Wilson are second. Bourdais and teammate Graham Rahal are currently ranked third. Rahal, driver of the No. 2 Medi | Zone entry, started third and finished second in the Atlantic race held here last year and would like nothing more than another podium finish here.

"Edmonton was a good event overall for us last year," said Rahal. "It's always fun going to a place that has a huge crowd which Edmonton does for sure. For me last year it was a little difficult because we could never be the quickest but certainly this year with the Medi | Zone team we have been making huge strides and I hope we continue that in Edmonton and be right up front. Toronto was a setback for us but we are going to put that behind us and try to be up front again in Edmonton.

In the seven previous events this season Rahal has qualified in the top-10 all but once, led two races and finished a season-high second in Houston where he became the youngest podium finisher in series history. He has run in the top-two positions in four of seven races but his finishing position has been limited due to a variety of reasons. In addition to gaining valuable experience while dicing with other drivers at the front of the pack, the 18-year-old has also adapted well to the step up to the more powerful Champ Cars. The Edmonton track is the most physically demanding of the season and Rahal is confident he is ready for the experience.

"The biggest challenge the Edmonton track presents is that it is very physical," said Rahal who is ranked ninth in the standings with 101 points. "For any of the drivers in a long distance race, it will really wear you out. It wasn't so bad in the Atlantic race but this one will be a lot longer and more difficult. With pit stops and such in the Champ Car race, you should get a 20 second break every once in a while though. I feel physically fit enough. So far this year I have been able to handle a heavier steering effort than Sebastien or most of the other drivers so I feel pretty happy with my physical training. I think this team as a whole, both the Medi | Zone side and the McDonald's side, will perform well like we have at most of the tracks so far this year."

"It is a tough course because there is not a lot of rest on the track," added Bourdais. "It's very much like the Cleveland track when it's hot. You go from one corner to the next without a break and the grip level is really high and there are high speed corners so G-force wise its pretty exhausting. With the bumps, you get a lot of kickbacks in the steering so the combination of everything makes it a pretty tough race."

The past two years the Edmonton Grand Prix has drawn over 371,000 fans to the City Centre Airport to watch the drivers of the Champ Car World Series battle for victory. In its 2005 debut the Edmonton Grand Prix drew more than 200,000 fans for the three-day event setting a Champ Car record for a Canadian race. In its second year, Edmonton set the third-highest attendance figure ever posted at a Canadian race. Rahal is expecting another large crowd this year as well as a wide-open race that anyone can win.

"The main competition this year has been Sebastien, of course, and (Robert) Doornbos, who is doing a great job so he'll be tough to beat," said Rahal. "The Team Aussie cars are strong also. On any given weekend it can be anybody though and hopefully this weekend it will be us. We've just got to beat everybody."

Practice and qualifying will take place on Friday and Saturday with the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton starting at 3:00 p.m. local ET on Sunday. Live coverage of the race will be provided by ESPN in the United States and in Canada on Global starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing - PREVIEW

Rexall Grand Prix of EdmontonCity Centre Airport - Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaRound 8 of 16 - The 2007 Champ Car World SeriesDATE: Friday - Sunday, July 20-22, 2007BROADCAST: Live on ESPN at 1:00 p.m. ETTRACK LAYOUT: 1.973-mile temporary airport circuitRACE LENGTH: 1:45 time limit; (tbd) laps/miles2006 WINNER: Justin Wilson2006 POLESITTER: Sebastien Bourdais

NHR / NHLR Racing Stats - City Center Airport (2005-present, 2 events)WINS HERE: ONE (Bourdais 2005)

POLES HERE: ONE (Bourdais 2006)PODIUM FINISHES HERE: THREE (2nd - Bourdais 2006; 3rd - Servia 2005)BOURDAIS' BESTSTART/FINISH HERE: 1st in 2006 / 1st in 2005RAHAL'S BESTSTART/FINISH HERE: 3rd / 2nd - both in 2006 Atlantic race

DIFFICULT WEATHER CONDITIONS PRODUCE MIXED RESULTS AT THE STEELBACK GRAND PRIX OF TORONTO FOR SIERRA SIERRA ENTERPRISES

July 12, 2007

Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Difficult and quickly changing weather conditions were cause for an action packed race in Toronto with Raphael Matos (#6 ProWorks) taking third and teammate James Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks) unable to finish the race due to contact.

Almost in sync with the start of the race, rain began to pour as the drivers approached the first turns of the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto.   Claiming pole position, Matos took the front row but was not able to maintain his lead.  A series of crashes brought out the caution flags and the teams pulled into the pit to switch to rain tires.  Upon the restart, Matos took and held fourth for most of the race and was able to avoid contact despite the low visibility.  During a late race challenge for second place between teammates John Edwards (#7 Red Bull/INDECK) and Robert Wickens (#3 Red Bull/INDECK), Wickens spun while attempting to pass and opened the door for Matos to claim the third spot on the podium.  Matos continues to lead the championship race by 30 points and Sierra Sierra continues an uninterrupted podium streak for the 2007 season.

“It was a good weekend for us – we were quickest both qualifying sessions and had a really strong car.  Unfortunately it started raining and I didn’t get a good start.  I lost four positions from the wheel spin and had to change my mindset about the race.   I left Toronto with a 30 point lead and extending it in Edmonton would be great!  I’m definitely looking forward to the last four races of the season,” said Matos.

James Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks) was not as fortunate in front of his hometown crowd.  While under a caution flag, Hinchcliffe was hit from behind and was not able to repair the damage in time to re-enter the race:

“The race certainly didn't go as planned for us! We had a less then stellar qualifying but knew we had a much stronger car for the race.  On lap 1 it was raining and we were on slick tires which made for an interesting start!  After they red flagged it and we got rain tires on, I was confident of moving up.  But shortly after we got going there was a yellow and the car behind me misjudged where the safety car had got us and ended up running into the back of me. I know it was really tough to see, but under caution it was such an unnecessary accident.  We pitted and tried to fix the damage - my guys worked so hard and I'm just really gutted that we couldn't be on the podium for the fans.”

In total, thirteen of the twenty-three cars entered in the Sunday race did not finish due to contact.Hinchcliffe is fourth in the Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda championship points race with 178.

The race will air (tape-delayed) on ESPN2, July 11, 5:00 p.m. ET.  

For more information about Sierra Sierra Enterprises and their drivers, please visit www.sierrasierra.comwww.hinchtown.comwww.rafamatos.com

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