James Hinchcliffe opened his Champ Car Atlantic title bid by steering his way to fourth place in Sunday's inaugural Vegas Grand Prix, but admitted that he had been frustrated by the stop-start nature of the race.
The round one action was tempered by no fewer than four caution periods, with the persistent yellow flag periods hampering Hinchcliffe's efforts to recover lost ground, having ceded his front row starting position mid-race.
It was the first of four caution periods that allowed Hinchcliffe to grab the lead from friend, rival and fellow Canadian Robert Wickens, getting the jump into the first turn at the restart. It proved to be short-lived glory, however, as a second caution followed, with Wickens turning the tables at the next restart. Despite having a competitive car, Hinchcliffe's attempts to unlock its full potential were continually thwarted by the number of laps run under yellow, and he eventually lost second place to his Sierra Sierra team-mate - and eventual race winner - Raphael Matos at the third restart.
Further disruption followed with a seven-car crash resulting in six more caution laps and another restart, and Hinchcliffe again came under attack into the first turn, this time with Jonathan Bomarito slipping by to claim the final podium position with just three laps remaining.
“The race was pretty frustrating to be honest,” the Canadian reflected, “It felt like a club race in some respects, as we just couldn't get enough laps run under green with all the accidents and cautions going on. At this level of racing, I think the fans expect better and I don't think we put on a really good show for them today.
![James Hinchcliffe - Sierra Sierra Enterprises [pic courtesy Champ Car Atlantic Championship]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/307006.jpg)
