The partnership of Robert Yates Racing and Champ Car’s Newman-Haas-Lanigan Racing, announced Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, led to speculation that three-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais might be part of the deal. But the Frenchman, who voiced some interest in stock cars after winning an International Race of Champions event in 2005, shot down that notion, at least for now. In San Jose, Calif., for Sunday’s Champ Car World Series event, Bourdais told a media gathering that some people are misinterpreting the partnership as the first step in a full-time move to NASCAR by Champ Car’s top team. “They’re just going to bring some methods and some organization and some knowledge,” he said. “It also is completely unrelated to what I will end up doing in the future. So I just think people are getting everything mixed up a little bit.” Bourdais has tested with Formula One’s Scuderia Toro Rosso team and could be headed there as a replacement for Scott Speed in 2008.(Indianapolis Star)(7-30-2007)
