Saturday, June 9, 2007 Mazda Grand Prix of Portland – Portland International Raceway, Portland, Oregon Round 4 of 14 in the Champ Car World Series 2007 Season McDONALD’S ® DRIVER BOURDAIS TO START AND MEDI | ZONE DRIVER RAHAL EIGHTHS IN THE MAZDA GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND; RAIN SLOWED FINAL QUALIFYING 1st: Justin Wilson 58.000 / 121.903 mph 2nd: Robert Doornbos 58.214 / 121.455 mph (111.629 - P1 in Saturday qual.) 3rd: Sebastien Bourdais 58.303 / 121.260 mph 8th: Graham Rahal 58.639 / 120.575 mph (111.647 – P2 in Saturday qual.*) Sebastien Bourdais, No. 1 McDonald’s Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone: “I’m just a little disappointed I guess because this morning the car felt really good and we were already thinking the McDonald’s team had a shot at the pole. As soon as we started qualifying it (the car) didn't seem to grip for us. Coming around the track and the grip never came in. I don't quite know what happened, so we just kind of tried different things and didn't get much out of it, so, trying a little harder I spun the car. We'll see tomorrow what the conditions are. But I think in the championship view it's still pretty good. I think starting third here is all right, and we'll see. It's going be to be a long and tough race tomorrow.” FAST FACTS: Will be his fifth race here. Attempt to earn a record setting fifth consecutive win here last year was hindered by a ragged start. He started third but dropped to seventh on the second attempt to start the race and recovered to finish third. Started fifth in 2005 after losing his fastest laps in Fri. & Sat.’s qualifying sessions. Led seven laps but finished second. Started on pole, led 85 laps and won here in 2004. Started fourth in 2003 but a tire pressure problem dropped him to 18th place. He fought back into third before his rear wing failed and ended his day...Became the first open wheel driver to win three consecutive championships since Ted Horn accomplished the feat from 1946-1948 and only the second in the 98 year history of the sport…He has the rare opportunity to win four consecutive championships this year if he can again capture the Vanderbilt Cup, which would extend his run that began in 2004. Bourdais would be making history as no Champ Car driver has ever won four straight championships. Four in a row is very rare in professional sports in fact it has never been done in either NASCAR or NFL and it hasn’t been accomplished in the last twenty years in the NBA, NHL or MLB. Graham Rahal, No. 2 Medi | Zone Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone: "It was nice to set the second fastest time in the session but it only works if you’re the fastest in the wet and guarantee a front row start. It was so close -- I guess you could say I sneezed at the wrong time. I saw on the back straightaway that I was only less than one-tenth down from my fastest lap from this morning so I knew if I pushed harder I could make a little bit of that time up and I knew what the fastest lap was. I made the time up but I was two-hundredths short. That’s how it goes. I think we have a good car in the wet but I don’t know about the car in the dry. I’m pretty satisfied that we were quicker than Sebastien in the wet because he’s pretty good in the rain. Wilson is a sure bet to be tough to beat but Doornbos is kind of a wild card; we don’t know what he will be like tomorrow. To get to the front we have to have good strategy and save fuel which is going to be tough in this weather. The Medi | Zone crew is good and will help us get to the front but it’s still going to be tough with all these other guys out there. We all know this track is challenging to pass on but we’ll do our best.” FAST FACTS: Will be his third race here and first in a Champ Car. Started from pole in the Atlantics race here in 2006 but was hit by Simon Pagenaud on Lap 1 and finished 27th. Earned his first professional win here in the Star Mazda race in 2005 after starting fourth and winning by a margin of .0317 seconds. Graham’s father Bobby won at this track twenty years ago (June 14, 1987) after starting third…Rahal finished second in the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic championship after a title hunt that concluded in the season finale. Led 129 laps to champion Pagenaud’s 31. He earned a series-high five wins (42 percent), four poles (33 percent) and six podium finishes (50 percent) in the 12 events and at 17 years old was the youngest race winner in series history (Monterrey, Mexico on 5-21-06). The team has earned 235 top-three finishes (1st - 99, 2nd – 76, 3rd - 60) and 101 poles and is attempting to win their 100th race. SEVEN WINS & 15 PODIUM FINISHES IN 23 RACES IN PORTLAND: NHLR has won SEVEN races at this track (Bourdais 2004; da Matta 2002; Michael Andretti 1992, 1991, 1990; Mario Andretti 1986, 1985) and FIVE poles (Junqueira 2006, Bourdais 2004, da Matta 2002, Mansell 1993, Ma. Andretti 1984). They have earned a total of 15 podium finishes (2nd – Bourdais 2005, Junqueira 2004, Mansell 1993, Ma. Andretti 1990; 3rd – Bourdais 2006, Fittipaldi 2001, 2000, 1996). 2006 IN PORTLAND: Botched start limited Bourdais’ chance to earn a record five straight wins. Started third but dropped back to seventh on the start and finished third. Junqueira started from pole but finished fourth after the second attempt to start the race. The morning practice session will take place from 10:00-10:30 AM PT while the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland will begin at 1:00 PM PT.