The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 49

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSTAR.COM Sports 3o SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2005 C15 AUTO RAGING Champ Car's Bourdais tops 500 rookie class 0 It will be the French driver's 1st appearance at Indy, but he brings history of racing success. MONTH WW OF MAY under the watchful eyes of former champions Al Unser and Johnny Rutherford and IRL president Brian Barnhart. "It's nice to get out there before you have 30 other drivers with you," Barnhart said. "(When) you get some guy who's been here for 25 years busting into turn one at 220 (mph) his third time by and you're still trying to find your way around, it's a little intimidating." Bourdais had hoped to shed his rookie label last year, but co-owner Carl Haas was able to secure sponsorship for only one car, which Junqueira drove to a fifth-place finish. The team is back in full force this year, with one major exception: co-owner Paul Newman, who remains a staunch critic of Tony George and the IRL.

"He still carries a lot of frustration and is very loyal to his ideals," Bourdais said. "He said he probably won't come, but he understands if we want to do it." And clearly, Bourdais does. "I'm definitely excited," he said. "Everybody knows about the Indianapolis 500 and it's a great honor to be a part of it." Call Star reporter Steve Ballard at (317) 444-6184. quite limited," said Bourdais, who has competed in four Champ Car oval-track races and won two.

"I know it's not going to be easy getting ready for something I've never done before. I want to do well, but I don't want to put extra pressure on myself with too many expectations." Bourdais isn't the only Indy rookie with Champ Car ties. Patrick Carpentier spent eight seasons in the rival series and won five races, including a 2001 victory on Michigan's two-mile oval, before moving to Cheever Racing this year. And Danica Patrick spent two seasons in Toyota Atlantic, Champ Car's top training ground, to prepare for her first IRL campaign with Rahal Letter-man Racing. Patrick is bidding to become the fourth woman to start an Indy 500, following Janet Guthrie, Lyn St.

James and Sarah Fisher. But she isn't interested in any comparisons. "I really don't think too much about what other females have done," said Patrick, who qualified on the front row and finished fourth in last weekend's race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. "I base my talent off of everybody else in this field. The competition is different now.

It's the toughest it has ever been." Carpentier, Patrick, Ryan Briscoe of Ganassi Racing and Paul Dana of Hemelgarn Racing are on teams that have won an Indy 500. Briscoe said he doesn't know quite what to expect but can't wait to start finding out. "This is one of those races that since I was a young kid I've looked at as, I don't know how to say it, like a fantasy," the 23-year-old Australian said. "And all of a sudden, here we are." Rounding out the rookie field: Tomas Enge at Panther Racing, Scott Mayer at A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Jeff Bucknum at Dreyer Reinbold Racing.

Enge is recuperating from broken ribs that caused him to miss the Japan race. Mayer failed to pass the rookie test when he first took it in 2003 and Bucknum crashed on the first lap of his IRL debut in Japan. This is the first year the Rookie Orientation Program is kicking off the month. Previously held in April, it is designed to give rookies time to learn the track and ease their way up the speed chart career. Every time I have driven in a new series or driven a new car, I have done well," said Bourdais, who is joined by Champ Car teammate Bruno Junqueira, a three-time Indy 500 starter, in a two-car entry from Newman-Haas Racing.

"That is definitely a strength for me." Bourdais, 26, has climbed aboard his Honda-powered Panoz only long enough for a seat fitting. That changes today on the first of two days of the annual Rookie Orientation Program, during which the first-timers will have the track all to themselves. If Bourdais follows his usual pattern, it won't take him long to get up to speed. In his first Champ Car race, in February 2003 at St. Petersburg, he won the pole.

He did it again in his second race and by the end of the year had three wins and five poles. That was a tune-up for his second season. He had seven wins and eight poles in 14 races and won the championship. Perhaps even more impressive, JSC- Sunday, May 29 Noon Today's schedule What: lndyStar.com Opening Day When: Gates open 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Rookie Orientation Program noon-5 p.m. Admission: $5 last month in his second race in a stock car and first at Texas Motor Speedway, he outran a passel of NASCAR stars to win an International Race of Champions event.

The field also included 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice. Still, Bourdais welcomes the extra two days of practice this week to help him prepare for the first round of qualifying Saturday. He and Junqueira need to get safely into the field on the first weekend because they'll be spending the second qualifying weekend at a Champ Car race in Monterrey, Mexico. "I just have to take it step by step. My oval experience is still Carpentier Team: Cheever Racing Car: No.

83 Red Bull Dal-laraToyota Age: 33 Hometown: La Salle, Quebec, Canada This season: Has finished in the top 10 in three of the four IRL races, with a best of seventh in the season opener at Homestead, Fla. Career highlights: Won five races in eight CART seasons and twice finished third in the standings (2002, '04); won 1996 Toyota Atlantic title with nine wins in 12 races. Tidbit Played drums in 1999 Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack's band, RPM, when both were in CART. I II III I I -7 1 ffr 4 1 I i I I I By Steve Ballard steve.ballardindystar.com Of the eight rookies entered in this year's Indianapolis 500, only one will run his first laps in an Indy Racing League car today. But of those eight, that one is the top contender for Rookie of the Year and is the most likely of the group to challenge for a victory in the May 29 race.

Like Indy winners Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000 and Helio Cas-troneves in 2001, Sebastien Bourdais is not your average rookie. The reigning Champ Car World Series champion, who was born and raised within a stone's throw of the famed racing circuit in LeMans, France, arrives for opening day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway less awed by the spectacle than intrigued by the possibilities. He is duly humble in assessing his chances and acknowledges a lack of experience on ovals, but he also points out his track record is that of a fast learner. "I have been fortunate in my LA Sebastien Bourdais Team: Newman-Haas Racing Car: No. 37 Centrix Pa- nozHonda Age: 26 Hometown: LeMans, France This season: Won Champ Car's season-opening Grand Prix of Long Beach; won Round 2 of I ROC series at Texas Motor Speedway.

Career highlights: Won 2004 Champ Car World Series title; has 11 wins and 13 poles in 33 Champ Car races; won 2002 FIA F-3000 title. Tidbit Lives in Tampa, where his girlfriend, Claire Ragot, was a track athlete at the University of South Florida. He planned to spend Saturday morning at her graduation. Ryan NASCAR DODGE CHARGER Team: Car: No. Toyota Age: 23 Hometown: This in races, of 12th Japan.

Career One test in 2003 and Tidbit: participating Briscoe Jeff Bucknum Patrick 1 vr Paul Dana Team: Hemelgarn Racing Car: No. 91 Ethanol Dalla-raToyota Age: 30 Hometown: St. Louis This season: Has competed in three of the four IRL races, with a best finish of 10th in the season opener at Homestead, Fla. Career highlights: Finished second in 2004 Menards Infiniti Pro Series standings with one win and seven top-five finishes. Tidbit Graduated from Northwestern University in 1996 with a degree in journalism.

Scott Mayer Team: A.J. Foyt Enterprises Car: No. 41 ABC Supply DallaraToyota Age: 40 Hometown: Franklin, Wis. This season: No IRL starts. Career highlights: Won three consecutive Skip Barber Pro Series races in 1997; made IRL debut in February 2003 at Homestead, Fla.

Tidbit: Made three IRL starts in 2003 driving for PDM Racing and crashed in all three. Chip Ganassi Racing 33 Target Panoz Sydney, Australia season: Has competed all four IRL with a best finish last weekend in highlights: Formula driver for Toyota 2003-04; won Formula 3 Euroser-ies 2001 Italian Formula Renault championships. Stays in shape by in Team: Dreyer Reinbold Racing Car: No. 44 Investment Properties of America DallaraHonda Age: 38 Hometown: Pismo Beach, Calif. This season: Made IRL debut last weekend in Japan but crashed on the opening lap; won LMP2 class in American LeMans Series 12 Hours of Sebring.

Career highlights: Finished eighth in LMP2 class in 2004 ALMS, with two poles and best finish of second. Tidbit: His father, Ronnie, competed in three Indy 500s, with a best finish of 15th in 1970. Tomas Enge Team: Panther Racing Car: No. 2 Rockstar Dalla-raChevrolet Age: 28 Hometown: Liberec, Czech Republic This season: Has competed in three of the four IRL races, with a best finish of 16th at St. Petersburg, missed last weekend's race in Japan because of broken ribs.

Career highlights: Won GTS class at 2003 24 Hours of LeMans and won 1996 German Formula Ford title; made IRL debut in October 2004 at California Speedway. Tidbit: Drove for Alain Prost's Formula One team in 2001 and finished 14th in the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Biffle cashes in on caution at Darlington rt. -1 1 Danica Patrick Team: Rahal Letterman Racing Car: No.

16 ArgentPioneer PanozHonda Age: 23 Hometown: Roscoe, III. This season: Has competed in all four IRL races, with a best finish of fourth last weekend in Japan after she qualified on the front row. Career highlights: First woman to earn a pole and a podium finish in the Toyota Atlantic series; finished second in 2000 Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, England, best ever by an American. Tidbit Engaged to marry Paul Hospenthal, a Phoenix-area physical therapist. FORMULA ONE Alonso trails Trulli in early qualifying run Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain Fernando Alonso practiced little for Saturday's qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix.

But the Spaniard apparently didn't need much preparation. Hoping to win his fourth straight Formula One race, Alonso clocked the second-quickest time, just .016 seconds behind Toyota's Jarno Trulli. Kimi Raikko-nen of McLaren was third, followed by Toyota's Ralf Schumacher. The real test comes today, with the second qualifying session followed by the race before 115,000, including 10,000 fans from Alon-so's home region of Asturias and Spanish King Juan Carlos. "It was something special for me, for sure," said Alonso, who was greeted by wild applause as his elapsed times were posted.

Alonso had only 11 practice laps Saturday morning, fewer than half as many as others in the field. Trulli, who clocked a time of 1 minute, 14.795 seconds, is hoping to bring Toyota its first victory. The Japanese carbuilder entered Formula One in 2002 and has a huge budget, estimated to rival the $400 million of Ferrari Seven-time series champion Michael Schumacher clocked 1:15398 for seventh. Schumacher is a four-time defending champion of the Spanish GP. "It is fair to say we are still struggling with our single-lap performance," said Schumacher, who is winless in his past five races.

If he fails to win today, it will match his longest winless streak since joining Ferrari in 1996. ill BCPH 3 i t'Omi ife 500 Super service: The crew for Greg Dodge Charger 500 at Darlington adding the Dodge Charger 500 to victories earlier this season in California and Texas. Biffle's No. 16 Ford beat the Chevrolet of runner-up Jeff Gordon, a six-time Darlington winner, to the finish by 0.989 seconds about six car-lengths. "We were going to end up second," Biffle said.

"I feel bad for Ryan Newman. He had a really strong car tonight and that's a tough decision to make." Biffle, a 35-year-old driver from Vancouver, gave team owner Jack Roush his fifth victory in the first 10 races of the Dodge Charger 500 (Top finishers) Driver Car Ford Chevrolet Dodge Ford Dodge Dodge Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet 1. Greg Biffle 2. Jeff Gordon 3. Kasey Kahne 4.

Mark Martin 5. Ryan Newman 6. Jamie McMurray 7. Jimmie Johnson 8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

9. Carl Edwards 10. Tony Stewart Next race: 6 p.m. Saturday, Richmond, Va. Results: Entire finishing order.

CT7 Series points leaders: Johnson, Gordon, Biffle, Kurt Busch, Elliott Sadler, 1,267 position on the track under caution. Officials ordered him to stop and get in line where he was supposed to be, but Busch refused. He was sent to the pits for a two-lap penalty, and NASCAR officials took offense to the language he used over the radio. They ordered him to turn his engine off, and he responded my revving it. He also tossed a water bottle out of his window that hit the official in his pit.

Busch was then summoned to meet with NASCAR after the race. It was a very successful night for the track that lost one of its two Cup races this season. About 70,000 spectators, only the second sellout crowd at Darlington since 1997, watched the first Cup race run almost entirely at night at NASCAR's oldest paved speedway. He takes advantage of yellow flag to get new tires, then races to win in extra laps. By Mike Harris Associated Press DARLINGTON, S.C.

Greg Biffle's chances of winning a race he dominated appeared gone after his Roush Racing team made some late-race changes. But a timely spin by Mark Martin and four fresh tires were all Biffle needed to win Saturday night's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Darlington Raceway in overtime. "The second to last run there we tried some tire pressure things and got my car way too loose," Biffle said. "I thought, 'Why in the world would we wait until the last run to try It went the wrong way, but we recovered from that." Biffle, who led 176 of 370 laps on the treacherous 1366-mile, egg-shaped Darlington oval, fell behind on a late pit stop, but got another chance when Martin spun, bringing out the 12th caution flag just five laps from the scheduled finish. Ryan Newman, who had taken charge late in the race, chose to stay on the track while Biffle and several other contenders pitted for tires.

When the green flag waved again for a two-lap shootout, beginning on lap 369, Biffle, taking advantage of those fresh tires, charged from fourth. He passed Carl Edwards, Ken Schrader and, finally, Newman before taking the white flag for the last lap. Biffle went on to win easily, Gavin Lawrmc Getty Images add fuel to his Ford during the third of the Nextel Cup season. mal night. He hit an official with a water bottle, bad-mouthed NASCAR over his radio and ended up in a closed-door meeting with series officials.

"His actions were certainly not befitting of a champion," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. "He said things that are not fit for print." After his first-lap crash, he took the No. 97 Ford into the garage so his crew could make enough repairs for Busch to continue racing. Later in the race, NASCAR said Busch moved into the wrong CD Biffle works to change the tires and Raceway. Biffle took the victory, his season.

Defending series champion Kurt Busch and Edwards have each won one race for Roush in 2005. Kahne, who started from the pole and led 60 laps, finished third, followed by Martin, Newman, Jamie McMurray and Johnson, who charged back after making an unscheduled pit stop on lap 260 and falling to 23rd, a lap off the pace. Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt who started 39th, finished eighth, just ahead of Edwards. Busch, who hit the wall on the first lap, suffered through a dis.