McDONALD’S® DRIVER BOURDAIS HOPES TO REPEAT EUROPEAN STREAK FROM ROOKIE SEASON; MEDI | ZONE DRIVER RAHAL EAGER TO RACE IN BELGIUM AND THE NETHERLANDS ZOLDER, Belgium (August 20, 2007) --- The Champ Car World Series will return to Europe for the first time since 2003 and perhaps no other driver has fonder memories of that sojourn than Sebastien Bourdais, driver of the No, 1 McDonald’s race car. Although Bourdais has amassed 28 wins since coming to the series in 2003, it’s said that you never forget your first – and that one came in England in 2003 and was backed up the next weekend with a win in Germany. This weekend’s Belgian Champ Car Grand Prix (Aug. 26) will be followed by the Dutch Champ Car Grand Prix (Sept. 2) and the Frenchman is looking forward to Champ Car’s return to Europe. “Obviously it would be awesome to go back to Europe with the McDonald’s team and get another couple of wins but those tracks are a big unknown for us,” said Bourdais who leads the championship standings with 250 points over Robert Doornbos (213) and Will Power (197). “I have never been to Zolder or Assen but I didn’t know Brands Hatch (England) or Lausitz (Germany) either and we managed to earn our first and second Champ Car wins there together. I’m very happy to race in Europe again. Since it is an unknown, there is no big advantage for us so hopefully we can put together a good streak there.” His victory at Brands Hatch, England came in only his fourth series start after he led a total of 95 laps from his second place start but his victory in Germany was even more impressive. At the Lausitzring, near Dresden, Germany, Bourdais became the first driver in series history to win from pole in his oval racing debut after he led 74 laps in the closest finish (0.08) since 2000 Michigan race. Bourdais has a proven record of rising to the challenge of new venues. Seven times in the last four seasons, Champ Car has held inaugural events and Bourdais has emerged the winner in five of those and second in another. The streak started with wins at Brands Hatch in 2003, Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2004, Edmonton and San Jose in 2005, Houston in 2006 and this year’s Mont-Tremblant event where he finished second. The only time he hasn’t finished first or second at a new venue was the 2007 season-opener on the streets of Las Vegas where he had an uncharacteristically bad weekend and retired after contact. He knows that he stands a good chance at being competitive again this weekend due to a lot of hard work by Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. “The team has prepared extensively and put in a lot of hard work,” said Bourdais who plans to spend a little time in his homeland of France before, between, and after the two events. “They have made their best guess on the simulation and baseline setup. Obviously it’s pretty difficult to prepare since we don’t know what we’re going to be facing for real but they have worked really hard and I’m pretty confident that we should have very good cars for both races.” Since Newman/Haas Racing (NHR), now named Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR), began competing in the series in 1983 there have been a total of five races held in Europe. In addition to the 2003 races won by Bourdais in England and Germany, the series, then named CART, raced in Europe in 2001(Lausitz, Germany & Rockingham, England) and 2002 (Rockingham, England). In addition to the two wins and one pole (Germany) earned by Bourdais they have earned five podiums in the five events (2nd – Junqueira, Brands Hatch, UK 2003 & Cristiano da Matta, Rockingham, UK 2002; 3rd – da Matta, Rockingham 2001). Like Bourdais, his teammate Graham Rahal is also looking forward to returning overseas. Although he hasn’t competed in a Champ Car race in Europe, he did get a chance to see, and run on, many famous European race tracks and even lived in England for almost one year while his father, Bobby, was working for the Jaguar Formula One team. The 18-year-old is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of his Medi | Zone race car after having earned his third podium with his third place finish in the previous race in Elkhart Lake, Wis., after running in second most of the event. “I have been to a few tracks in Europe like Valencia, Bruno in the Czech Republic, and Silverstone and a couple of other places in England but never to ones in Belgium or Holland so I’m looking forward to getting there,” said Rahal who will travel to England between the events to spend time with friends. “I’ve been through both Belgium and Holland, driving with my family when we lived in England but never for any length of time so I’m looking forward to the next two races.” In 10 races so far in his rookie season Rahal has finished in the top-10 eight times with his three podium finishes as the highlight. His third place finish in the previous event enabled him to move from eighth in the point standings to fifth with 170 points. He has qualified six times in the first three rows and led races twice. He knows the team has worked hard to carry the momentum forward and ensure a competitive run at the two new European venues. “I don’t know much about the track but I know it’s going to be pretty quick,” said Rahal of the 2.449-mile road course located approximately 45 minutes from Brussels, Belgium. “We have some data on the track and there is a lot of work the engineers have to put in before we get there. You have to show up on top of your game and that’s the plan for the Medi | Zone team.” In the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, the Omloop Terlamen is situated close to the village of Zolder where the track was first conceived and built in the early sixties, and opened in 1965. The first major international event was the Limbourg Grand Prix for Formula 2 cars in 1966 and it hosted the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on 10 separate occasions throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Major changes were made at Zolder in 1986 including the new Villeneuve chicane, named after Gilles Villeneuve who lost his life after a crash at the track in 1982. Additional changes include the reprofiling of many of the corners, extra curbs and concrete barriers. In the beginning of 2006, the twelve turn course underwent some adaptations to increase safety preparing for Champ Car’s first voyage into the country of Belgium. “I think (the event) is going to be great for the European fans because I think something they always miss out on with Formula One is the fan interaction with the drivers,” said Rahal of what might separate the series from other racing experiences available in Europe. “In Champ Car, we have autograph sessions and the drivers are accessible at the team areas for autographs. I think that will be exciting for the fans that come to Zolder and Assen. They also might be excited about Push to Pass, which gives us 75 more horsepower and exciting pit stops. F 1 has them but there are so many people around the cars that they probably don’t get to see much. I think ours are more exciting for the fans because you can see the car and the crew guys at work.” Advance ticket sales indicate that both events should experience good crowds. Practice and qualifying will take place on Friday and Saturday with the Belgium Champ Car Grand Prix starting at 2:00 p.m. local time on Sunday. Live coverage of the race can be seen in the United Stated on ESPN Classic at 8:00 a.m. ET. 1ST & 2ND CCWS WINS CAME IN EUROPE: Will be his third Champ Car race in Europe. After DNF’s (did not finish) in his first three Champ Car events as a rookie in 2003 (St. Pete & Monterrey – contact; Long Beach – engine), the first time he finished a Champ Car race was also the first time he drove to victory after he paced 95 laps at Round 4 in Brands Hatch, UK, including the final 33…Became the first driver in series history to win from pole in his oval racing debut in Lausitz, Germany after he led 74 laps and earned back-to-back victories in the series with a thrilling win over Mario Dominguez by 0.084 seconds. LEADS 2007 POINT STANDINGS BY 37 PTS: Crashed in final qualifying in Las Vegas season-opener and started 16th in the 17 car field. Overcame two unscheduled stops for punctured tires and charged into third place but brushed a wall and had to pit again. Returned to the race in 11th place but contact in Turn 4 on the 31st of 68 laps ended his race…Led 58 laps and won from pole in Long Beach to rebound to a third place rank…Was the provisional polesitter in Houston and set the fastest lap time in final qualifying but CCWS ruled he had interfered with the lap time of Power and took away that lap. He started second but took the lead at the start by cutting the chicane and was told to give the position up to Wilson on the next lap but regained the lead on Lap 14 and only relinquished it after pit stops. Set the fastest race lap en route to victory…Started third in Portland and brought the team their 100th victory in dominating fashion. After his third place start he temporarily dropped to fifth but stretched his fuel two laps longer than race leader Wilson on the first stint and closed an +18-second deficit to take over the leader after the second stop, which he held through his third and won by a 13.5 second margin over Wilson…He started from pole and set the fastest race lap in Cleveland but lost ground in the point standings due to an engine failure after leading 27 laps ended his race while second …Qualified third in Mont Tremblant and took the lead on the first lap when polesitter Gommendy’s car wouldn’t start and second place Power stalled. Led the first 27 laps but spun on the wet track on slick tires and dropped back to 11th but recovered to finish second to Robert Doornbos…Earned both points for fastest qualifier in Toronto to start the race from pole with a two-point lead over Doornbos but was hit by him with five laps to go while fifth and retired in ninth place. Doornbos was able to continue to finish sixth and take over the points by two over Power and three over Bourdais…Qualified second in Edmonton but took the lead at the start and led until his first stop when he dropped to third to avoid a car while trying to leave his pits. Ran two laps longer and regained the lead after the second stop to win after setting the fastest race lap…Was the provisional polesitter in San Jose and started second but took the lead going into Turn 1 although Wilson regained the position a few turns later. Bourdais stalled the car under the first caution while trying to save fuel and dropped to eighth but regained a few spots to finish fifth while race winner Doornbos closed to within 10 points…Earned the max. points at Road America with pole on Friday & Saturday, set the fastest race lap and won to increase his lead over second place Doornbos (213; +37) and third place Power (197; +53) with 250 points. HISTORY MAKING THIRD CONSECUTIVE TITLE IN 2006: 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. Both Horn and Bourdais clinched their titles in the penultimate event but Horn was unable to attempt four after he died in a crash in the season finale…Bourdais earned seven wins, seven poles and finished on the podium 11 times in 14 races. FOUR IN A ROW RARE IN SPORTS: Bourdais has the rare opportunity to win four consecutive championships this year if he can again capture the Vanderbilt Cup for the fourth time since 2004. No Champ Car driver has ever won four straight titles. 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. FOX SPORTS BEST NON AMERICAN ATHLETES: Recently made a list complied by Fox Sports of the 10 best non American athletes. Others on the list include reigning F 1 champ Fernando Alonso, Brazilian soccer stars Ronaldinho and Adriano, golf stars Luke Donald (England) and Padraig Harrington (Ireland) as well as four others. 28 WINS IN 69 RACES (40.5 percent): (’03 – three wins; ’04 – seven wins; ’05 – six wins; ’06 – seven wins; ’07 - Long Beach, Houston, Portland, Edmonton, Elkhart Lake). He earned his 20th victory in his 49th start with a win in Milwaukee which beats the former record of 79 starts to reach 20 wins, held by Foyt. Mario Andretti (80), T. Bettenhausen (96) & R. Mears (97) are the only other drivers to reach 20 wins in 100 starts. 29 CCWS POLES IN 69 RACES (42 percent): (’03 – five poles; ’04 – eight poles; ’05 – five poles; ’06 – seven poles; ’07 - Long Beach, Cleveland, Toronto, Elkhart Lake). Sebastien Bourdais, #1 McDonald’s Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone: “Obviously it would be awesome to go back to Europe with the McDonald’s team and get another couple of wins but those tracks are a big unknown for us. I have never been to Zolder or Assen but I didn’t know Brands Hatch (England) or Lausitz (Germany) either and we managed to earn our first and second Champ Car wins there together. I’m very happy to race in Europe again. Since it is an unknown, there is no big advantage for us so hopefully we can put together a good streak there. “The team has prepared extensively and put in a lot of hard work. They have made their best guess on the simulation and baseline setup. Obviously it’s pretty difficult to prepare since we don’t know what we’re going to be facing for real but they have worked really hard and I’m pretty confident that we should have very good cars for both races. “I don’t know what to expect in terms of the crowd but as a European driver and the champion, I hope we attract a lot of fans since they don’t normally get a chance to see us in person. I know the promoters have put a lot of effort into making these races successful and I hope their hard work is rewarded.” IN EUROPE: Will be his first Champ Car race in Europe. SO FAR IN 2007: Had an electrical problem in Friday’s qualifying in Las Vegas and had to qualifying his backup car on Saturday due to crashing in the morning practice. Started 10th but had to make an evasive move to avoid a swerving Dan Clarke and hit the wall prior to Turn 1 on the first racing lap. Retired in 17th place… Qualified fifth in Long Beach but pit strategy of others and slow fuel flow on two stops led to an eighth place finish…Started sixth in Houston and finished second to bring the team it’s first 1-2 finish since Las Vegas in 2005…Started eighth in Portland but struggled to pass Clarke and went off course twice while trying and ultimately finished ninth…Earned his highest start of fourth in his home race in Cleveland but a battle with Doornbos for position led to being hit from behind by Tracy and he went off course and subsequently to the rear of the field. Came back to lead four laps for the first time in his Champ Car career and had a late race battle with leader Tracy but had to pit for five gallons of fuel and finished eighth…Started ninth in Mont Tremblant, pitted for his last stop after he led seven laps but a shifting problem led to a stalled car and he rejoined the field 10th. Finished seventh to tie with Oriol Servia for eighth place…He started 15th in Toronto but an evasive move to avoid a pile up on Lap 1 led to him hitting the wall and a subsequent stop for a new front wing. Had to pit again for another front wing later in the race after running as high as second. Retired in 11th place after he made contact for the third time due to a broken steering rack…Started fourth and finished third in Edmonton…Started sixth, ran as high as fourth and finished sixth in San Jose after he charged back from a problem (stalled) on his first pit stop that dropped him to 13th…Started fourth, ran as high as second and finished third in Elkhart Lake to move from eighth to fifth in the point standings with 170. ALSO IN 2007: Rahal competed in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (water pump failure) and 12 Hours of Sebring (battled back from opening lap crash to finish sixth in GT2 class). RUNNER-UP TO 2006 ATLANTIC CHAMPION: 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)…He led the most laps (129, 32 percent) and set a series-high five fastest race laps …He was awarded the BBS of America Rising Star Award. DID YOU KNOW: Graham Robert Rahal, 18, was born in Columbus, Ohio on 1-4-1989 and resides in New Albany, Ohio…The 6’2” driver is one of four children of Bobby Rahal, three-time open wheel champion, Indy 500 winner and Hall of Fame race car driver…Has two sisters (Michaela and Samantha) and one brother (Jarrad)…He graduated from New Albany High School with a 3.8 GPA on June 3, 2007…When he is not racing he likes to work on cars, hang out with friends and family or play other sports for fun…To prepare for the physicality of racing he spends many hours doing cardiovascular training and weightlifting, skiing, running or bicycling…He drives a 2007 Atomic Orange Corvette Z06 and his favorite type of clothing is anything made by Puma…His favorite food is sushi and his weaknesses are ice cream and white chocolate mocha drinks at Starbucks…His favorite books are those written by Lance Armstrong (and anything he reads other than for school)…His favorite thing to watch on TV is any Ohio State Buckeye game, his favorite actor/actress are Owen Wilson and Eva Longoria and favorite movie is “Wedding Crashers.” ABOUT MEDI | ZONE: MEDI | ZONE is a leader of medically supervised weight loss, weight maintenance, wellness and performance programs, products, and services as well as the exclusive provider of the leading cutting edge health, wellness and performance systems by Dr. Barry Sears, the best selling author of the Zone Diet series. MEDI | ZONE owns and operates medically supervised weight loss, weight maintenance, wellness, and performance centers. Graham Rahal, #2 Medi | Zone Cosworth/DP01/Bridgestone: “I don’t know much about the track but I know it’s going to be pretty quick. We have some data on the track and there is a lot of work the engineers have to put in before we get there. You have to show up on top a lot of your game and that’s the plan for the Medi | Zone team. “I think its going to be great for the European fans because I think something they always miss out on with Formula One is the fan interaction with the drivers. In Champ Car, we have autograph sessions and the drivers are accessible at the team areas for autographs. I think that will be exciting for the fans that come to Zolder and Assen. They also might be excited about Push to Pass, which gives us 75 more horsepower and exciting pit stops. F 1 has them but there are so many people around the cars that they probably don’t get to see much. I think ours are more exciting for the fans because you can see the car and the crew guys at work. “I have been to a few tracks in Europe like Valencia, Bruno in the Czech Republic, and Silverstone and a couple of other places in England but never to ones in Belgium or Holland so I’m looking forward to getting there. I’ve been through both Belgium and Holland, driving with my family when we lived in England but never for any length of time so I’m looking forward to the next two races.”