It would be unfair to call the first
six races of the 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by
Ford season just a warm-up to the main act
source: cart.com- John Oreovicz But some might say the fight for the million dollars that goes to the season champion really starts now. This weekend's at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is Round 7 in a 19-race series, and it kicks off a stretch of nine races in 12 weeks, all at road or street racing venues. The time to perform is now, because by the time everyone rolls into Miami in September, the championship could already be decided. So let's set the scene: Late-bloomer Michel Jourdain Jr. dominated at the Milwaukee Mile to grab a 10-point lead over charismatic veteran Paul Tracy, who won the first three races of the season but faltered over the last three events. The dark horse is 23-year old Sebastien Bourdais, who swept the two-race European swing and could be dominating the title chase if not for a couple of rookie mistakes. As it stands, he's 24 points - little more than a good weekend's work - out of the top spot. And quietly looming in the background, third in the standings and just one point behind Tracy, is the forgotten man - Bourdais' teammate Bruno Junqueira. The action at Laguna Seca this weekend might provide an accurate forecast as to how the championship scenario might be shaping up for Miami and the final international fling. Because Mazda Raceway puts passing at a premium, the race is likely to be decided on pace. And this is one of the few tracks where most of the teams have tested in 2003.
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