There may have been more popular victories in the annals of the Champ Car World Series than yesterday's win by Oriol Servia. But not many. source: champcarworldseries.com - David Phillips Up and down pit lane, throughout the paddock there was a genuine feeling of happiness that the amiable 31 year old from Pals, Catalonia had finally -- finally -- broken through to his first Champ Car win. For seven teams and 95 starts since Y2K, it's been close but no cigar for the amiable Servia. He'd finished second four times and third on six occasions and led 82 laps over those six seasons. In fact, but for an abbreviated 2002 campaign in which he started with PWR Racing and missed six races between the that team disbanded and the time he landed a ride with Patrick Racing, Servia has led at least a few laps every season he's been in Champ Cars. But until yesterday, never the right one, never the last one. Even Champ Car co-owner and Rocketsports Racing owner Paul Gentilozzi was happy for Servia. That's saying something, because it was his DHL Global Mail Ford-Lola that finished second after officials instructed driver Timo Glock to move over for Servia. "I couldn't be happier for Oriol," he said. "He is a classy driver and class person. If we couldn't win this one, I couldn't be happier Oriol's the one who did." The crowd of well-wishers watching the traditional post-race victory podium featured more than a few of Servia's competitors and teammates, past and present, including current Newman/Haas partner Sebastien Bourdais, Cristiano da Matta, former teammate at PPI Motorsports and Jimmy Vasser, who has never teamed with Servia but who was instrumental in convincing the 1999 Firestone Indy Lights champion to take the ride with Dale Coyne Racing last year that, ultimately, proved the springboard to his ride with Newman/Haas.
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