Robert Doornbos rekindled his Champ Car World Series title hopes with a second victory of the year, this time after a come-from-behind performance on the streets of San Jose.
The Dutch rookie lined up a lowly 15th on the grid for the ninth round of the season, but took a leaf out of veteran Paul Tracy's book by losing a front wing early on and then relying on strategy to take him to the head of the pack by the end of the one hour 45 minute race.
Where Tracy waited a few laps in Cleveland before losing his nose - and then did it again for good measure several laps later - Doornbos got his misdemeanour over and done with at turn one, riding high over the back of Jan Heylen as the tight hairpin caused the pack to back up. Despite carry hardly any speed at all, the Minardi Team USA car had enough momentum to leave its wing perched on Heylen's engine cover after the Belgian was forced to check up by an almost stationary Mario Dominguez ahead of him. Doornbos also stalled his car on landing, holding up Katherine Legge and Alex Figge before being bump-started and making his way to the pits.
The kerfuffle overshadowed a great getaway for
Sebastien Bourdais, the Frenchman immediately redressing the loss of provisional pole to Justin Wilson by beating the Briton to turn one. Bourdais' advantage lasted all of two turns, however, the three-time champion admitting to carrying too much speed into the second corner, where he was punished by running wide and almost smiting the wall. Wilson needed no second bidding to retake the lead as the field came under full course caution for Doornbos to be restarted. Bourdais' afternoon got even worse shortly afterwards too, the Newman/Haas/Lanigan car cutting out at turn seven as the field toured behind the safety car, dropping the points leader to seventh on the road.
