Sebastien Bourdais’ on-track domination, of the Champ Car Series, was matched by the voting for Second Quarter Driver of the Year. No other driver, at the premier levels of United States motorsports, had a winning percentage of 75% in this period. The driver of the McDonald’s Lola Ford-Cosworth had three wins, in four races, and, also took two poles. In the voting, by an elite panel of print and broadcast journalists, the 27-year-old French-born driver, who resides in Tampa, FL, was not seriously challenged. The only thing that slowed him, slightly, was that his bid for five-straight victories, this year, was cut short with a third place at Portland, Oregon earlier this month. That made him four-for- four podiums during the quarter. Bourdais took 11 out of the 16 first place votes – that were cast – and totaled 115 points. The voting could be considered an upset as Indy 500 winner, Sam Hornish, Jr., ended up second in voting with two first-place votes and totaled 66 points. It was a record 14th win at the Brickyard by his Team Penske Racing. Although Hornish won from the pole that was his only victory in the quarter. NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne’s two Nextel Cup victories earned him three first-place votes and totaled 65 points for third. A total of 17 drivers scored points in the second quarter voting. In its’ 40th year Driver of the Year is unique because it is the oldest award that encompasses all of the racing series in the United States. A panel of 17 leading journalists and broadcasters from across the U.S. determine the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9,6,4,3,2,1 basis. A separate one-driver vote will determine the 2006 Driver of the Year. Bourdais will receive a trophy and a Maurice Lacroix, wristwatch. The trophy presentation is scheduled for Saturday, July 8th at the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto, Cananda.(DOTY PR)(6-27-2006)
