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Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto Preview

Jul 3, 2007 - 9:23 PM

July 8, 2007
Exhibition Place
Toronto
Round 7 of 16 in Champ Car World Series

TV: ESPN, 1 p.m. EDT

Track length: 1.755-mile temporary street course

Qualifying record: Gil de Ferran, 110.565 mph, 1999
Race record: Michael Andretti, 98.248 mph, 2000


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Sebastien Bourdais (France)
Team: Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
2007 Points: 145 (T-1st)
2007 Earnings: $311,000

Three-time reigning series champion was an angry runner-up last
weekend in Quebec, when he accused race winner Robert Doornbos
of breaking the rules by blocking his passing attempt; fell into
a tie with Doornbos atop the series standings; reeled off three
straight wins at Long Beach, Houston and Portland; struggled to
13th place in season opener at Las Vegas; became the second
driver in series history to win three consecutive titles last
season, winning by an 89-point margin; ran third in this event
last season.

Robert Doornbos (Netherlands)
Team: Minardi Team USA
2007 Points: 145 (T-1st)
2007 Earnings: $273,000

Captured his first career victory in controversial fashion last
week at Quebec, where he allegedly blocked Bourdais three times;
climbed into a tie with Bourdais atop the standings; Dutch
rookie has finished third or better in all but one of the first
six races this season; ran third at Portland to continue his
outstanding start this season; also finished second in the
season opener at Las Vegas and placed third at Houston;
participated in Formula One in the previous two campaigns,
starting 11 races for Red Bull Racing and Minardi.

Will Power (Australia)
Team: Team Australia
2007 Points: 131 (3rd)
2007 Earnings: $228,000

Second-year driver ran third at Quebec and is third in the
standings, 14 points behind the co-leaders; had his fast start
slowed a bit by finishing 10th in Cleveland; won from the pole
at Las Vegas and ran third at Long Beach; also captured the pole
at Houston but struggled to 11th place; finished fourth at
Portland; ran seventh in this event last season.

Paul Tracy (Canada)
Team: Forsythe Championship Racing
2007 Points: 74 (10th)
2007 Earnings: $151,000

Struggled to 15th place at Quebec after undergoing mechanical
failure; overcame a pair of early crashes and held off a
last-lap charge by Doornbos to win in Cleveland for his first
victory this season and 31st career; the win ended a 23-race
winless drought; he is now tied with Al Unser Sr. for sixth
place on the series' all-time wins list; was runner-up to A.J.
Allmendinger in this event last season.

Justin Wilson (Britain)
Team: RuSport
2007 Points: 113 (4th)
2007 Earnings: $186,000

Defending series runner-up placed fifth last week to climb ahead
of Canadian Alex Tagliani for fourth place in the standings;
finished fourth at Cleveland after registering a season-best
second-place finish at Portland; struggled early this season but
climbed to fifth in the standings after Portland, where he
started from the pole; placed 14th at Las Vegas but bounced back
by finishing fourth at Long Beach; could not carry momentum to
Houston, where he ran 10th from the third starting position;
finished fourth from the pole in this race last year.


2006 Top Five
-------------
 1. A.J. Allmendinger (7), United States
 2. Paul Tracy (3), Canada
 3. Sebastien Bourdais (1), France
 4. Justin Wilson (9), Britain
 5. Cristiano da Matta (10), Brazil

Past Champions
--------------
2006  A.J. Allmendinger
2005  Justin Wilson
2004  Sebastien Bourdais
2003  Paul Tracy
2002  Cristiano da Matta
2001  Michael Andretti
2000  Michael Andretti
1999  Dario Franchitti
1998  Alex Zanardi
1997  Mark Blundell
1996  Adrian Fernandez
1995  Michael Andretti
1994  Michael Andretti
1993  Paul Tracy
1992  Michael Andretti
1991  Michael Andretti
1990  Al Unser Jr.
1989  Michael Andretti
1988  Al Unser Jr.
1987  Emerson Fittipaldi
1986  Bobby Rahal