2007 Generac Grand Prix

The 2007 Champ Car Generac Grand Prix at Road America was the tenth round of the 2007 Champ Car World Series Season. It was held on August 12 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

United States 2007 Generac Grand Prix of Road America
Race details
Race 10 of 14 in the 2007 Champ Car season
Road America Track Layout
DateAugust 12, 2007
Official nameChamp Car Generac Grand Prix at Road America
LocationRoad America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States
CoursePermanent Road Course
4.048 mi / 6.515 km
Distance53 laps
214.544 mi / 345.276 km
WeatherSunny, 86 F / 30 C
Pole position
DriverSébastien Bourdais (N/H/L Racing)
Time1:41.535
Fastest lap
DriverSebastien Bourdais (Newman Haas Lanigan Racing)
Time1:44.346 (on lap 53 of 53)
Podium
FirstSebastien Bourdais (Newman Haas Lanigan Racing)
SecondDan Clarke (Minardi Team USA)
ThirdGraham Rahal (R) (Newman Haas Lanigan Racing)

Qualifying results

PosNatNameTeamQual 1Qual 2Best
1 Sébastien BourdaisN/H/L Racing1:42.3851:41.5351:41.535
2 Will PowerTeam Australia1:43.1161:43.5951:43.116
3 Robert DoornbosMinardi Team USA1:43.6191:43.1341:43.134
4 Graham RahalN/H/L Racing1:43.7321:43.1621:43.162
5 Bruno JunqueiraDale Coyne Racing1:44.3261:43.2011:43.201
6 Alex TaglianiRSPORTS1:43.6891:43.3741:43.374
7 Neel JaniPKV Racing1:43.4171:44.2961:43.417
8 Dan ClarkeMinardi Team USA1:43.4391:43.8531:43.439
9 Jan HeylenConquest Racing1:44.2951:43.5231:43.523
10 Justin WilsonRSPORTS1:43.5251:44.0501:43.525
11 Tristan GommendyPKV Racing1:44.0321:43.5651:43.565
12 Simon PagenaudTeam Australia1:43.6371:43.5811:43.581
13 Ryan DalzielPacific Coast Motorsports1:43.6111:43.7951:43.611
14 Oriol ServiàForsythe Racing1:43.710no time1:43.710
15 Alex FiggePacific Coast Motorsports1:45.4321:44.0271:44.027
16 Paul TracyForsythe Racing1:44.7161:47.1321:44.716
17 Katherine LeggeDale Coyne Racing1:46.9011:47.2711:46.901

Sébastien Bourdais, fresh off signing his name to a 2008 contract with Formula 1's Scuderia Toro Rosso, dominated both qualifying sessions, finishing Saturday with a best lap a second and a half clear of his closest competitor. Will Power was best of the rest to secure the other front row starting spot next to Bourdais on Sunday.

Race

After dominating qualifying, Sébastien Bourdais led away from the starting grid. Will Power, the other front row starter, dropped back with bad handling while Robert Doornbos was able to provide Bourdais a certain amount of pressure after starting third on the grid, staying within two seconds of the Frenchman.

Unfortunately for Doornbos the set of tires he switched to after his first pit stop did not prove to his liking and he began losing large chunks of time as Bourdais continued in the lead.

Meanwhile, Doornbos' teammate Dan Clarke was putting on a show. Slow away from the grid thanks to a bad clutch, Clarke took advantage of the yellow flag on the opening lap by pitting and setting off an alternate strategy. When the rest of the field pitted on lap 14, Clarke found himself in the lead and made the most of the open track in front of him and came out in second place in front of Doornbos and Graham Rahal after he emerged from his pit stop on lap 16.

With Doornbos struggling on his tires, Rahal got around Doornbos in turn 3 on lap 24. Doornbos' race then went completely wrong on the next lap as Clarke cut in front of him on the approach to turn 5. Doornbos' front wing was knocked off and his suspension was damaged. He was forced to limp back to the pits, his race ruined, though he was able to return to the fight albeit four laps down. Clarke was apologetic after the race, but Doornbos accused the Englishman of brake checking him.

Clarke got around Rahal after his second pit stop, gaining further benefit from his alternate pit stop strategy while Bourdais continued to easily lead the field. The race would finish up in that order. Surprisingly, the win was the first for Bourdais in four attempts at the scenic Wisconsin circuit. With Will Power ending up in 16th place with a broken gearbox, Doornbos' accident-marred 14th-place finish and Justin Wilson, best amongst the rest of the point challengers managing only an eighth place, Bourdais took a stranglehold on the season championship.

This race marked the final race on US soil for the Champ Car Series as a separate entity from the IndyCar Series, before the merger of the two in early 2008.

Box Score

PosNatNameTeamLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
1 Sébastien BourdaisN/H/L Racing531:40:58.596134
2 Dan ClarkeMinardi Team USA53+9.8 secs827
3 Graham RahalN/H/L Racing53+12.2 secs425
4 Oriol ServiàForsythe Racing53+20.9 secs1424
5 Alex TaglianiRSPORTS53+50.7 secs621
6 Jan HeylenConquest Racing53+1:00.1919
7 Tristan GommendyPKV Racing53+1:02.31117
8 Justin WilsonRSPORTS53+1:03.01015
9 Bruno JunqueiraDale Coyne Racing53+1:04.5513
10 Neel JaniPKV Racing53+1:13.0711
11 Simon PagenaudTeam Australia53+1:28.91210
12 Paul TracyForsythe Racing53+1:35.1169
13 Alex FiggePacific Coast Motorsports52+ 1 Lap158
14 Robert DoornbosMinardi Team USA49+ 4 Laps37
15 Katherine LeggeDale Coyne Racing36Mechanical176
16 Will PowerTeam Australia25Mechanical25
17 Ryan DalzielPacific Coast Motorsports15Collision134

Caution flags

LapsCause
1-3Tracy (3)/Pagenaud (15)/Dalziel (28) Collision

Notes

LapsLeader
1-14Sébastien Bourdais
15-16Dan Clarke
17-53Sébastien Bourdais
 
DriverLaps led
Sébastien Bourdais51
Dan Clarke2

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Sébastien Bourdais250
2 Robert Doornbos213
3 Will Power197
4 Justin Wilson190
35 Graham Rahal170
  • Note: Only the top five positions are included.

Attendance

Attendance at the 2007 Generac Grand Prix was over 100,000 people during the 4 day race weekend. Race coordinators were pleased with this result as this was the highest attendance the race had garnered since the heyday of CART racing in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[1]

References

Previous race:
2007 San Jose Grand Prix at Redback Raceway
Champ Car World Series
2007 season
Next race:
2007 Belgian Champ Car Grand Prix

Previous race:
2006 Grand Prix of Road America
2007 Champ Car Generac Grand Prix at Road AmericaNext race:
2016 Kohler Grand Prix
IndyCar Series event