Full Throttle

Newman/Haas Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais became the first driver since Ted Horn (1946-48) to win three consecutive Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford championships today in the Lexmark Indy 300 at Surfers Paradise.

Bourdais locked up the championship on Lap 20 of today’s event when A.J. Allmendinger had race-ending contact with the turn three fence, ending his title chase, and giving the championship to Bourdais.

The Frenchman, who won the 2004 and 2005 championships to lead into the 2006 season, currently leads the series in wins, poles, money won and laps led.

As this is written the race has not concluded and will be updated after the checkers.

UPDATE: Eighth place was enough for Sebastien Bourdais to clinch his third consecutive Champ Car world crown but it was rising French compatriot Nelson Philippe who won race honors in the Gold Coast Indy 300 here.

Bourdais, who started from the front-row, was penalised for initiating avoidable contact with Australian pole-sitter Will Power and was ordered to drive through the pits but it made no difference to the title outcome.

“I had to be careful, because all I needed to do was finish, but I had to make sure I was going to finish,” Bourdais said of his conservative race strategy.

Philippe held off Mexican Mario Dominguez by 0.727 seconds at the checkered flag with Canada’s Alex Tagliani third.

“I just can’t believe this day has finally come,” Philippe said. “I am so full of adrenaline, it is the best feeling in the world.

“I came to this series at very young age without a whole lot of experience racing cars, but I’ve worked so hard, developing myself on the track and off the track.

“It just gives me the desire to work harder and now that I have my first win, I will continue to focus on my championship position, this season has been amazing.”

Philippe’s maiden victory enabled him to move past Canadian Paul Tracy into fourth place in the championship with 214 points, six ahead of Tracy with the season’s final race in Mexico City on November 12.

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