Click above for high-res gallery from the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
This past weekend saw the end of an era as the Champ Car World Series held its last ever race. Although the race in Long Beach came after the merger with the Indy Racing League and after the kickoff of the inaugural joint season, pre-existing commitments sent the Champ Car teams to California (sponsored by Toyota) while Danica Patrick was claiming her maiden victory in Japan (sponsored by Honda). The forked race weekend, however, was to be the last, as the Champ Car World Series has formally filed for bankruptcy with several of its teams folding into the IndyCar Series.
Australian driver Will Power (seriously, that's his name) dominated the race virtually from start to finish, leading 81 out of the 83 laps. Former F1 test driver Franck Montagny impressively took the second step on the podium on his first and last Champ Car race beside veteran Mario Dominquez in third. Pole sitter Justin Wilson was forced to retire with engine troubles on the 12th lap, as did his young team mate Graham Rahal – winner of the IRL race in St. Petersburg two weeks prior – who crashed on the last lap. Both Jimmy Vasser and Paul Tracy returned to the race seat for the Long Beach event, but weren't sharp enough to pose a serious threat to Power. The Panoz DP01, having turned their final laps, will now be mothballed as the migrating teams rejoin their IRL colleagues next weekend in Kansas City.
[Source: Autosport]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Yago Bal @ Apr 21st 2008 2:52PM
Wow: that was an amazing performance by Franck Montagny!
KingofPasadena @ Apr 21st 2008 2:57PM
Is Will related to Max Power?
All American Dude XX @ Apr 21st 2008 3:03PM
"...but you mustn't touch..."
Todd @ Apr 21st 2008 3:00PM
That's cool. CART been really lame since they "locked" the technology and I have always thought of having a second rate Formula One a bad idea.
So the American Le Mans cars will be the premiere format for the next five years?
toronado455 @ Apr 21st 2008 3:30PM
So, does this mean there will be no more Long Beach Grand Prix? No more annual barricades on Ocean and Pine, etc.???
tankd0g @ Apr 21st 2008 3:57PM
No more celebraties doing the much needed task of taking Scion tCs out of circulation???
Ian @ Apr 21st 2008 4:18PM
The Long Beach GP event will become the second biggest Indycar race in 2009.
SkiD666 @ Apr 21st 2008 6:54PM
Ian - Edmonton Grand Prix may outdraw Long Beach.
OzoneGTX @ Apr 21st 2008 4:37PM
Actually, if I recall correctly, the DP01 chassis will be put to use elsewhere. I don't know if it means another series will adapt them, but i think it was Kalkhoven on WindTunnel who said that they definitely won't be mothballed. Still, it's really a shame that after all that development and testing that the car only lasted a season
Phil @ Apr 21st 2008 9:03PM
I agree completely. I've heard the IRL cars referred to as "crap wagons" by some fans emailing Windtunnel. They are dated, for sure. I'd like to see the IRL swallow some pride and use the DP01, the development costs are mostly spent, now just reap the benefits of a more modern race car. Maybe the DP01 will see duty in Europe, while the IRL continues to race their wagons.
Since Champ Car closed shop, I've become more interested in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). For those of us wanting some semblance of high-tech and high performance in their racing, this series has it.
OzoneGTX @ Apr 21st 2008 10:03PM
It was actually Paul Tracy who coined the term a few years ago when he said he would "never drive one of those crapwagons" when referring to IndyCars. Now he's looking for a seat on an IndyCar team.
Go figure.
Derek @ Apr 21st 2008 5:37PM
Danica Patrick's win at Motegi was a publicity stunt.
nissanfreak87 @ Apr 21st 2008 6:30PM
thanks for your completely un-related(and idiotic) statement
Gabe @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:01AM
The real excitement came after the ALMS race on Saturday. I left just after the race, as a Pennywise concert was about to start. The streets leading away from the race were a mess, and everyone that I was with commented on the lack of police presence. Apparently they were suiting up, as the concert turned into a huge melee that had to be put down by riot police w/ tear gas.
That being said, the ALMS race was fantastic with the big Audis pulling it out in the last five minutes of the race. Champ/IRL are both pretty much useless by comparison. IMHO, of course.
dougjp @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:51AM
It will be sad not to hear the sound and see the speed again. However the IRL cars are close enough, and now having the numbers of cars per race up in a reasonable range improves everything. Just reduces the number of races I watch, that's all (spotter to driver - "inside, inside" -ralf... ovals don't count for me).