Low key end to Hinchcliffe's season source: James Hinchclifffe Motorsport James Hinchcliffe endured a low-key finish to the 2007 Cooper Tires Presents The Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda as the Canadian racer battled a broken front-wing mount to post a 14th place finish in the final round of the season at Road America, Wisconsin. Looking to steer the #9 NOCO/ProWorks Swift Mazda-Cosworth to a win in Round 12, having arrived in Elkhart Lake with everything but a victory in his sophomore season, Hinchcliffe's weekend started well as the 20-year-old posted the ninth fastest time in Friday qualifying. Saturday's second session proved cruel to the Toronto native with James eventually securing 14th on the grid for Sunday's 50-minute race - his second lowest starting slot this season thanks to braking and steering issues. With eight top-five starts to his credit, including three pole positions, James' mid-pack position would provide him with a relatively new perspective heading into the final round. At the head of the field Franck Perera smashed the Champ Car Atlantic Championship track record at the 4.048-mile Road America circuit, the Frenchman claiming his second pole with a hot lap of 1m58.883s (122.581mph) alongside Friday's fastest runner, America's Jonathan Edwards in second. Hinchcliffe started Sunday with the 11th fastest time in the pre-race warm-up but that was about as good as it got for the popular racer. Dropping a spot at the start, he rose to 11th by lap three before the first of two full-course cautions interrupted play. Down to 13th by the second safety period, James passed Robert Wickens for 12th at the green flag but the second half of the race would prove to be a rollercoaster affair with James attempting to overcome the broken front-wing mount.
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