Last year it was Sebastien Bourdais (#2 McDonald's Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), this year it will be a new name and a new face as the season comes to an end and the Rookie-of-the-Year battle crowns a new rising star in the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford source: champweb.net The talent was widespread amongst this year's rookie drivers. It did not matter their age, their previous racing background, or their nationality; they were all fighting for the same thing: a successful first year and the Jim Trueman Rookie-of-the-Year award. One of the brightest young stars in American open-wheel racing, A.J. Allmendinger (#10 Western Union Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone), is the current points leader in the rookie battle. With an uneasy start to the season during the first two races, the 2003 Toyota Atlantic Championship Series champion qualified fifth at Milwaukee on his first oval, in only his third race in a Champ Car. He would continue qualifying in the top-ten for the remainder of the season, with the exception of Vancouver, where he started 11th. However, that run turned out to be his best of the season, as he maneuvered his way through the field with the style of a veteran to finish third on the podium alongside teammate Michel Jourdain Jr. to hand over the first 2-3 podium finish for rookie team RuSPORT. Sitting seventh in the overall Championship battle, Allmendinger is the only rookie to have a podium finish this season.
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