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2005 CHAMP CARS - MONTREAL

• McDONALD'S DRIVER BOURDAIS WILL SEEK TO EARN FOURTH CONSECUTIVE WIN TOMORROW FROM POLE IN THE MOLSON INDY MONTREAL; PACIFICARE DRIVER SERVIA MATCHED BEST QUALIFYING POSITION OF SECOND PLACE
• Sebastien Bourdais, No. 1 McDonald's Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone: "Last year we came back and had very good improvements. I was extremely happy with the car. We just started off where we left it. I was pretty happy to see that. We found a few tricks that improved it yet again. It's always the way to go, just keep moving forward. It's a lot about braking very late, curbing very well and getting out of the corner. I can't say usually I'm the fastest guy around the chicanes. My buddy, the Spanish guy (Oriol), is the best one usually. But you know what, we scored the pole position twice this weekend. The feeling is good. All I hope for is just to have a clean race. I truly believe the car should be good enough. This McDonald's car has been good enough the whole weekend. There's no reason not to see it good tomorrow. I guess the weather conditions are going to play a big game for us. Apparently it might rain all night and possibly tomorrow showers. So we'll see what happens. But we're not the slowest guy out there in the rain conditions. If it has to be rain, then be it. But definitely under dry conditions the car feels very good."
• FAST FACTS: It was his 17TH pole position in his 42nd Champ Car event as well as his FOURTH of the season...Will be his third race here. Started from pole here last year and led 26 laps before contact with A.J. Allmendinger caused him to retire from the race in 15th place...Started sixth and finished 19th in 2003 due to differential failure...Bourdais will attempt to become the first driver since Cristiano da Matta (2002) to win four in a row this weekend after victories in Edmonton, San Jose and Denver. Only eight drivers in series history have accomplished the feat, and only three of those in the CART/ Champ Car era (since 1979)....Leads the point standings with 251 to second place Paul Tracy's 196 (+55).
• BOURDAIS: "Last year we came back and had very good improvements. I was extremely happy with the car. We just started off where we left it. I was pretty happy to see that. We found a few tricks that improved it yet again. It's always the way to go, just keep moving forward. It's a lot about braking very late, curbing very well and getting out of the corner. I can't say usually I'm the fastest guy around the chicanes. My buddy, the Spanish guy (Oriol), is the best one usually. But you know what, we scored the pole position twice this weekend. The feeling is good. All I hope for is just to have a clean race. I truly believe the car should be good enough. This McDonald's car has been good enough the whole weekend. There's no reason not to see it good tomorrow. I guess the weather conditions are going to play a big game for us. Apparently it might rain all night and possibly tomorrow showers. So we'll see what happens. But we're not the slowest guy out there in the rain conditions. If it has to be rain, then be it. But definitely under dry conditions the car feels very good."
• SERVIA: "I ran into a bit of trouble this morning when the wall came too close to me and I hit it. The PacifiCare crew did an excellent job fixing the car and changing the engine. Yesterday I really felt I had something for Sebastien. Today I didn't. He was definitely fast in the morning and faster now. I'm actually happy I'm second because the practice session, first run of the tires, I wasn't very happy with the car. We changed a little bit for the second round. The car was better. But every time I had a good lap going, either traffic or Glock spun twice in front of me. I couldn't put a lap together. Before my last lap I was P5 so I really had to put a lap together. It's tough because you see there's only one minute left. I had a couple of good laps going before that but I kept getting traffic. I saw there was only one minute left and they told me, "Last lap." I knew I had to do everything perfect in one lap and I did it and jumped to P2. It's one of those things that every corner you see a 10th better, a 10th better. You just want to finish; you don't want a red. I was lucky to put a lap together. It was nothing spectacular because Sebastien was obviously still two and a half 10ths faster. But it's quite good starting second. It's a good position for tomorrow."

• NEWMAN-HASS PREVIEW
• NEWMAN/HAAS RACING'S BOURDAIS AND SERVIA HEAD TO MOLSON INDY MONTREAL TO BEGIN FINAL STRETCH OF CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
• In the three previous Molson Indy Montreal events held on the 12-turn, 2.709-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Newman/Haas Racing (NHR) drivers have earned two poles and one victory and were in contention for the win in the others. While encouraging, NHR knows they need to focus on the "here and now" and produce competitive and flawless performances in the remaining five events in the 2005 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season in order to earn their first back-to-back title in the series and sixth overall in their 23rd season of Champ Car competition.
• "Obviously it would be a big deal if the McDonald's team was able to win back-to-back championships," said Sebastien Bourdais, driver of the No. 1 McDonald's entry for NHR. "We are working really hard for it and giving it our best shot. I think the car is better than last year but obviously the competition stepped up also and it's not easy but we're in the best position now and we're going to try to keep our advantage. Earning back-to-back titles is never easy; it's tough to get there but it's always harder to stay there so hopefully we can achieve it."
• After two previous races on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Bourdais has yet to finish the event with his highest result being 15th place in 2004. Despite starting from pole and setting the fastest race laps of the event here last year, he received a reminder of how quickly a dominant performance can evaporate.
• "The first year in Montreal was kind of difficult," said Bourdais, who started sixth and retired in 19th place in 2003. "We had an engine that was down on horsepower so we struggled the whole weekend but it was going better for the race but we didn't finish because of a differential failure. Last year the race was going very well, the McDonald's car was fast. We had the pole position and we kind of ran away with the race until an unfortunate event with A.J. took me out of contention. It was a tough race but we were right there so we're just going to come back and try to do the same and hopefully we won't have the bad luck we had the last couple of years."
• Although Bourdais has not been ranked worse than second in the title hunt this season, neither has he had a comfortable lead more than 28 points (max. 32 given per weekend) until his third consecutive win of the season in the previous race and fourth overall on the streets of Denver where he extended his margin over second place Paul Tracy to 53 points (249-196). Unlike the outcome of his race here last year where he was unable to make headway in the title chase due to contact while leading with A.J. Allmendinger, who was assessed a stop and go penalty for avoidable contact, Bourdais would like to continue to build his cushion. Not only could a win in Montreal accomplish that, it could earn him the distinction of being the first since former NHR driver Cristiano da Matta to win four in a row (da Matta 2002).
• "I was really bummed (last year in Montreal) because it was obviously a turning point in the season where I really could have run away with the championship or as it happened, to tighten up the points situation," said Bourdais who went from a 56 point advantage to 34 over second place after last year's Montreal event. "We knew it was a crucial time. I didn't want to see the championship slip away and it was a tough break especially since A.J. was out of sync and he was not going to win the race. It was an unfortunate incident and we overcame that and still won the championship but I guess it made for better show for everyone but it was nerve-racking for us."
• In the three previous races here there have been three different winners. PacifiCare driver Oriol Servia hopes to continue the trend and become the fourth different winner as well as put the same race car that won here in 2004 ;the No. 2 PacifiCare Ford-Lola-Bridgestone ; in Winners Circle again. Bruno Junqueira led 25 laps en route to victory here last year for the PacifiCare team and kept his title chase alive due to closing on Bourdais' point total. Servia posted one of the best results of his career in Montreal in 2003 when he started second, led two laps and finished second and after four second place finishes in his Champ Car career, two of which came this season; Montreal could be the site of his first victory.
• "I had a great race in Montreal in 2003," said Servia, who resides in Miami and Pals, Catalonia, Spain. "We were very fast all weekend; I qualified second and ran first for a big part of the race before I got passed by my good friend (Michel) Jourdain in a move that almost cost our friendship because it wasn't a very legal move but he won the race. We were second and still really strong so I'm really looking forward to returning to Montreal again with the PacifiCare team that won the race last year. I was strong there and Newman/Haas Racing was strong there so, together, I think we will be good as well. Driving for Newman/ Haas is definitely everything I thought it was going to be and I have the feeling there is even more coming. I'm really having a blast enjoying the time I have been working with them. Everything is really good and I hope we can continue putting together strong performances."

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