Surfers Paradise - Champ Car - Bourdais on the verge of back to back titles source: F1.racing-live.com Sebastien Bourdais has a hammerlock on the 2005 The Champ Car World Series as he looks to apply the finishing touch on a championship season in this weekend's Lexmark Indy 300 at Surfers Paradise. However, despite holding a 67-point lead with just two races left on the schedule, Bourdais will take to the most unpredictable course on the Champ Car circuit in search of his second consecutive crown. The 2.795-mile street course in Surfers Paradise, Australia has long been a place where anything can happen - and usually does. From the first race that saw former drag racer John Andretti take the win to last year's thrilling battle that went to Bruno Junqueira, the Australia event has always provided the massive Gold Coast crowds with wall-to-wall action. Further illustrating the unpredictability of the event, the Lexmark Indy 300 has never had a repeat winner in its 14 years, marking the longest stretch without a repeat race winner of any track in Champ Car history. Seven series champions have scored victories in Australia while four drivers have earned their very first Champ Car wins there. Interestingly, Bourdais is not one of the 14 drivers that own previous Australia titles, although his Newman/Haas Racing squad has captured four prior Gold Coast victories. The weekend could shape up to be a big one for Bourdais, who could actually clinch the Vanderbilt Cup on Saturday if he were to lead Friday and Saturday qualifying. Even without qualifying success, he could become the first back-to-back champion since Gil de Ferran (2000-01) with an 18th-place finish on Sunday. Bourdais carries a streak of eight consecutive top-five finishes into the weekend, and would become just the 10th driver in Champ Car history to earn nine straight with another top-five in Australia. He won the pole in Surfers Paradise in 2003 and finished second last season to teammate Junqueira.
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