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BOURDAIS’ AMAZING WEEKEND ENDS WITH PODIUM FINISH AT GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND

9/2/2018 | Sport Clips

Sebastien Bourdais Race Summary:
Sebastien Bourdais drove the No. 18 Gorilla Automotive Products – Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan car to a third place finish today in the Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway. Bourdais, who overcame a huge crash in practice Saturday morning, qualified the car, nicknamed “Frankenstein” because it was rebuilt from spare parts, fourth. Starting from the outside of Row 2, Bourdais was collected in a first lap incident in Turn 3. The contact resulted in damage to his front wing forcing Bourdais to pit for repairs. When he rejoined the race he was in 21^stposition, last of the cars still running. The team altered their fuel strategy and finally got some luck with a couple of timely yellow flags allowing Bourdais to cycle to the front of the grid with enough fuel to race to a podium position, an amazing end to what had been a roller-coaster weekend.

Sebastien Bourdais Race Quote:
“It’s been a roller-coaster ride all weekend for the No. 18 Gorilla Automotive Products – Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan team. We qualified really well after recovering from probably one of the biggest hits I have ever had on a road course. Three hours after the crash the car is back together and I put it near the top in qualifying. So I start fourth, get swallowed up in the incident on the first lap, cycle to the back, cycle to the front and finish third. These races are never over, I can’t thank my crew enough for what they have done this weekend. Just an amazing effort from the whole team. I am super proud and thanks to Dale (Coyne), Jimmy (Vasser) and Sulli (James Sullivan) for putting all this together.”

Fast Facts:

Bourdais earned 35points today and is now ninth in the championship standings with 369 points. He is just nine points out of eighth, 22 out of seventh and 59 out of sixth with one race remaining but double points awarded.
Bourdais has scoredseven top-10 finishes with five top-five showings and two podium performances. (Won at St. Petersburg, third at Portland, fourth in the INDYCAR GP and Pocono, fifth at Barber, sixth at Mid-Ohio and eighth at Texas).
In six starts at PIR, Bourdais has now finished on the podium five times (five consecutive times, finished 14^thin his first PIR race in 2003) with two wins 2004 and 2007.
Bourdais is contesting his 13th Verizon IndyCar Series season, third with Dale Coyne Racing and first with Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan.
The 2018 Portland Grand Prix wias Bourdais’ 187^thVerizon IndyCar Series start and sixth at Portland International Raceway.
In 187 career IndyCar starts, Bourdais has won 37 races (sixth all-time) and captured 34 pole positions (seventh all-time).
Bourdais is the only driver to win four consecutive IndyCar championships (2004 – 2007).
Bourdais, 39, is a native of Le Mans, France but resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Next Race and Broadcast Times:
Round 17, the finale of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series,will be the Grand Prix of Sonoma, September 14-16, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA.. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN at 6:30 p.m. ET. It is also available on radio: XM 209 and IMS IndyCar Radio as well as online: IndyCar.com and Verizon IndyCar 15 app.

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