McDONALD’S® DRIVER BOURDAIS AIMS TO BE FOUR FOR FOUR WITH A WIN IN THE BAVARIA CHAMP CAR GRAND PRIX; MEDI | ZONE DRIVER RAHAL HOPES TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM IN NETHERLANDS ASSEN, Netherlands (August 30, 2007) --- After a win by McDonald’s driver Sebastien Bourdais and a third place by Medi | Zone driver Graham Rahal in Belgium, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR) is hoping to carry the momentum over to a strong run in the Bavaria Champ Car Grand Prix on Sunday September 2 at the 14-turn, 2.83-mile TT Circuit Assen track less than two hours from Amsterdam. With a total of 283 points to Robert Doornbos’ 250, Bourdais could possibly earn a history-making fourth consecutive championship this weekend if he is able to gain an additional 15 points over second place. In order to do so, he would need to depart Assen with a 68 point advantage over local favorite Doornbos, who hails from nearby Rotterdam. Bourdais earned his first title in 2004 at the season-finale in Mexico City and his 2005 and 2006 titles in the penultimate event in Australia. Regardless, Bourdais is approaching the weekend as the he any other. “The championship is still not over so we are taking it one race at a time but hopefully we can wrap this up before the end of the season,” said Bourdais who has won six races and five poles so far this season. “The sooner the better for the McDonald’s team but we are taking it one race at a time like we have done since I joined the team.” It will be the first race in the Netherlands for Champ Car but the Assen course is no stranger to international events as it hosts world class motorcycle races including Moto GP and World Superbikes. The track was created in 1925 and has been adapted several times since then with the most recent redesign having taken place in 2006 so that it would be possible to attract a variety of events to the circuit, including Champ Car. In fact only one section of the circuit is original -- the finish line has never moved. Bourdais’ knowledge of the course was limited to watching races on TV as a child but he knows the team has put together a competitive program for the weekend. “I don’t know much about the Assen track but I didn’t know much about the other European races we have gone to and it worked out fine,” said Bourdais of his three wins in three Champ Car races in Europe to date. “Like Zolder, the Assen event is also going to be a big guess for us but the team has prepared very well so far. Prior to getting to the track I knew about some of the layout from footage of the Moto GP but that was pretty much it. The track is very impressive. It is based on very high European standards.” With three podium finishes in the past four races and four overall in his rookie season, Rahal, 18, has been on a roll as of late and is currently ranked fifth in the season standings with a total of 196 points, only 15 points back from fourth place Justin Wilson, 211. He has excelled at the faster tracks which seem to suit his driving style and is therefore looking forward to another strong performance this weekend. “We put on a good show for the fans in Belgium and I hope we can do it again in Assen,” said Rahal. “I usually like tracks that are pretty fast. For me it was kind of natural to run well in Zolder because the faster tracks usually suit my style and I expect Assen to be the same because I hear it’s a pretty quick track. I’m certainly looking forward to the race. We seem to be on a roll right now and it would be great to continue it until the end of the season. A top-five in the championship would be great as well, maybe even a top-four.” Bourdais and Rahal took the lead for NHLR in the Phanos Champ Car European Team Cup competition with their podium finishes in Zolder. The NHLR duo are currently 9.5 points ahead of the Aussie Vineyards drivers Will Power and Simon Pagenaud, who won the Canadian Triple Crown earlier this season. The winning drivers receive a one-week stay at the luxurious Phanos Resort that is housing the entire Champ Car contingent during the Assen round. 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 six races held in Europe. Bourdais won the 2003 races in England and Germany as well as the one in Belgium last weekend. The series, then named CART, also raced in Europe in 2001(Lausitz, Germany & Rockingham, England) and 2002 (Rockingham, England). Bourdais won the pole in Germany in 2003 and also in Belgium last weekend while Rahal also added to their podium total with his third place finish for a total of seven podiums in the six events (2nd – Junqueira, Brands Hatch, UK 2003 & Cristiano da Matta, Rockingham, UK 2002; 3rd – Rahal, Belgium 2007 & da Matta, Rockingham 2001). “It’s going to be a good race for the series and I’m sure there are going to be a lot of fans cheering for Robert,” concluded Bourdais. “The pre-sale for tickets has been really good so we are expecting a nice crowd. It was really good to be back in Europe and racing in front of a home crowd in Belgium as there were a lot of French people there. I’m hoping it will be more of the same here in Assen.” The Bavaria Champ Car Grand Prix gets underway on Friday with the first round of qualifying at 2:00 pm local (8:00 am Eastern Time). The final grid will be set on Saturday at 2:00 pm local (8:00 am Eastern Time). The race will go green Sunday at 1:00 pm (7:00 am Eastern Time) and will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic in the United States and on Eurosport2 in Europe. 1ST, 2ND & 29TH CCWS WINS CAME IN EUROPE: Will be his fourth Champ Car race in Europe. Won from pole in Zolder 2007 and set the fastest race lap. 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 Doornbos and Power...Won from pole in Zolder as well as set the fastest race lap to increase his lead over second from 37 to 53 (283-250). 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. 29 WINS IN 70 RACES (41.4 percent): (’03 – three wins; ’04 – seven wins; ’05 – six wins; ’06 – seven wins; ’07 - Long Beach, Houston, Portland, Edmonton, Elkhart Lake, Zolder). 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. 30 CCWS POLES IN 70 RACES (42.8 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: “I don’t know much about the Assen track but I didn’t know much about the other European races we have gone to and it worked out fine. Like Zolder, the Assen event is also going to be a big guess for us but the team has prepared very well so far. Prior to getting to the track I knew about some of the layout from footage of the Moto GP but that was pretty much it. The track is very impressive. It is based on very high European standards. “The championship is still not over so we are taking it one race at a time but hopefully we can wrap this up before the end of the season. The sooner the better for the McDonald’s team but we are taking it one race at a time like we have done since I joined the team. “It’s going to be a good race for the series and I’m sure there are going to be a lot of fans cheering for Robert. The pre-sale for tickets has been really good so we are expecting a nice crowd. It was really good to be back in Europe and racing in front of a home crowd in Belgium as there were a lot of French people there. I’m hoping it will be more of the same here in Assen.” IN EUROPE: Will be his second Champ Car race in Europe. Started 13th and finished third in Zolder. 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…Drove to a 3rd place finish after aborting a qualifying lap that would have been a top-three start and qualified 13th to strengthen his hold on fifth place with 196 points. 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: “We put on a good show for the fans in Belgium and I hope we can do it again in Assen. I usually like tracks that are pretty fast. For me it was kind of natural to run well in Zolder because the faster tracks usually suit my style and I expect Assen to be the same because I hear it’s a pretty quick track. I’m certainly looking forward to the race. We are on a roll of sorts right now and it would be great to continue it until the end of the season. A top-five in the championship would be great as well, maybe even a top-four.”