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Champ Car invade Europe

Get set for thrills, spills and some familiar faces as the US Champ Car series crosses the pond for a sensational double-header

Champ Car race action

By James Foxall

25th August 2007

The Champ Car circus is rolling into Europe. For the first time since 2003, America’s single-seater series is travelling across the pond. Sadly for us Brits, it won’t be returning to Brands Hatch in Kent. Instead, the two European rounds will be at the former grand prix circuit of Zolder in Belgium on 26 Aug-ust and Assen in the neighbouring Nether-lands the following weekend.

Even though it’s based in North America, Champ Car is anything but ‘US-only’ on the driver front. Of the 17 cars, 10 are driven by Europeans, two by Canadians and two from the US, while there’s also a Brazilian, a Mexican and an Australian.

But it’s largely the Europeans who are dominating this year. Aussie Will Power aside, the front-runners have been Dutch former grand prix driver Robert Doornbos, French title holder Sebastien Bourdais – who’s heading to Formula One with Toro Rosso in 2008 – and Britain’s own Justin Wilson.

All are looking forward to racing nearer to home. Bourdais, who won his first Champ Car race the last time the series came to Europe, said: “It would be great to succeed again. I only wish we were going to France, though.

“I think we will have quite a few French supporters in Zolder and Assen, so that will be great. It’s good for the series, too, as there was a big hole in the calendar without European races.”

Wilson added: “I’ve accumulated a spectacular number of air miles over the past couple of years because I still live in the UK, but it will be good not to travel too far to race. I think fans used to European series will see a more relaxed atmosphere – it’s friendly and inviting, but is still competitive.

“In Champ Car it’s great to know that the driver can make a difference. Get it wrong in qualifying, and you might end up midfield or further back. If you get things right, you are going to be fighting for pole. It’s down to how you use the resources of the team to make that difference.”

But the man who will get the home fans excited is flying Dutchman Doornbos. The former Minardi and Red Bull Racing driver, who is in his first season of racing Stateside, said: “It’s very special to drive in front of your home crowd. The last time I won in Europe was at Spa in Formula 3000, and the feeling was great.

“I just hope I can give a good show and get a result. This series is much more fan-oriented, because it is a three-day festival of speed. In F1, it’s very hard to see anything of the cars, which is what the fans want.”

Champ Car’s European foray is live on Eurosport 2. The Belgian round on 26 August starts at 13.00, while the Dutch event (2 September) is at 12.00.






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Pictures

Champ Car race action
Panoz DP01

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How it works

Champ Car uses a one-make chassis and engine formula, so the emphasis is on the skill of the teams engineering the cars and the quality of the drivers.

Every entrant runs an identical Panoz DP01 (pictured), which is lower, wider and heavier than a grand prix racer. It’s powered by a 2.65-litre turbo V8 that runs on methanol and produces 750bhp.

Champ Cars aren’t as powerful or sophisticated as F1 machines, and don’t have traction control. But they still do 0-60mph in 2.2 seconds and have a potential 240mph top speed – so exciting racing is guaranteed.

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