2008 Rexhall Champ Car Grand Prix of Edmonton
Welcome to Rexhall Speedway at the City Centre Airport for the 2008 Rexhall Champ Car Grand Prix of Edmonton. The 1.96 mile temporary airport circuit is now in it’s fourth season on the Champ Car World Series schedule and has seen two different winners. But lucky for the drivers, two time Edmonton champ, Sebastien Bourdais is not in the series this season and 2006 winner, Justin Wilson has struggled this season. Will this be the place the Brit turns around his season and becomes a title contender again? This is Champ Car and this is Real Racing.
The Champ Car World Series have visited the City Centre Airport here in Edmonton since 2005. That 2005 edition of the race saw the most people attend a Canadian Champ Car race with over 200 thousand for the 3 day weekend that saw Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais win his first of two Edmonton titles. 2006 saw Justin Wilson score his first win and only of the 2006 season, and 2007 saw Sebastien Bourdais but on a clinic by dominating the race after Will Power’s Walker Racing car suffered mechanical troubles that ended his race.
“This race is very important after a great Toronto race,” said the Australian Power at the Thursday press conference, “Last year we came out Toronto with a win and should have won here, but only a mechanical problem stopped us. Maybe this year will be our year?”
This weekend also find Irish driver Adam Carroll make his Champ Car debut. Having tested with RuSport back in 2006, the young European Junior Formula superstar, was to fill in for Justin Wilson at Mexico City in 2006, before a last minute change. Since then he has run with lackluster results in DTM, and GP2. The former BAR Honda development driver has been keen on running in Champ Car for some time and the move to Conquest Racing should prove fruitful.
This race is a new event to the series rookies including points leader Franck Montagny, who sounds to be very happy with the airport circuits.
“Cleveland went okay and I love racing on airports. The tracks are fast, and flowing and visibility is very high. Great places for fast racing.”
In the news since Toronto has been the long rumor of the possible retirement of three of the series top starts. Even though Paul Tracy has been dominating the past 3 races, he has mentioned the this year could be his last, and it has come even more truthful, as the Forsythe Petitt team announced they will cut down the amount of cars they will enter in the 2009 season. Also announced by the FPR team is that Atlantics star James Hinchcliffe will test for the team at Road America in the series test in a few weeks. Also rumored to be on the retirement watch is Bruno Junquiera, who is rumored to be moving to sports car racing for 2009, with rumored teams being Peugeot and Pescarolo Sport in Europe. Alex Tagliani mentioned retirement in an article in the July issue of Racer Magazine, but news from inside the team is that Tagliani is negotiating with Team Australia Walker Racing for an extension for the 2009 season. If all those drivers do retire, that would open up three coveted seats for the 2009 season.
News surrounding Carlin Motorsports and Red Bull, is that the team will officially become Red Bull Carlin Motorsports on the series return to Europe in Assen. Also surrounding the team is that the suspected driver list have shrunk as Formula One superstar, David Coulthard, will not move to Champ Car. Also announced is that Scuderia Toro Rosso Team Principle Franz Tost will take over the same spot at Red Bull Carlin Motorsports.
Also in the news was the release of the 2009 schedule. New events include street circuits in Orlando, Florida and Dubai. Also included are events at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic, and the Imola Grand Prix circuit that held the San Marino GP previously, as well as the Champ Car return to the U.K. at Silverstone, replacing F1 on the circuits schedule. Also is a return of Vancouver to the series.
Announcements coming into the weekend also were the surprice annoucement of the sale of Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven’s buyout to the Donald Trump run, Trump Racing Investments, which will take control of the Champ Car World Series and the Champ Car Atlantics Championship. Also with this annoucment is the withdrawl of Kalkhoven run PKV Racing and driver Oriol Servia and Raphael Matos to the Indy Racing League Indy Car Series, possibly following this race. Team co-owner Jimmy Vasser is rumored to be talking with a few teams in management role.
Race Entries:
Justin Wilson -- Newman Haas Lanigan Racing
Graham Rahal -- Newman Haas Langian Racing
Paul Tracy -- Forsythe Petitt Racing
Franck Montagny ® -- Forsythe Petitt Racing
Franck Perera ® -- Forsythe Petitt Racing
David Martinez -- Forsythe Petitt Racing
Will Power -- Team Australia Walker Racing
Alex Tagliani -- Team Australia Walker Racing
Robert Doornbos -- Team Minardi USA
Nelson Philippe -- Team Minardi USASimon Pagenaud -- Conquest Racing
Adam Carroll ® -- Conquest Racing
Oriol Servia -- KV Technologies
Raphael Matos ® -- KV Technologies
Mario Dominguez -- Pacific Coast Motorsports
Dan Clarke -- Pacific Coast Motorsports
EJ Viso ® -- Rocketsport
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