Well, it looks as if Bruno Junquiera won’t be returning to the Champ Car World Series in 2005. I don’t think that’s a mistake by any stretch of the imagination. After the hit he suffered at the Indy 500, taking more than 5 months to recover only makes sense. I admire his will and determination, but there really isn’t anything to prove by jumping in for the season finale. Don’t risk aggravating the injury and don’t risk losing your current high value. Should Junquiera get into another accident, as minor as it may be, it could raise questions about his future. Remember, he is a free agent this year and although its expected he’ll return to Newman/Haas next year, sponsors can be fickle and if the good folks at PacifiCare really like Oriol, then Bruno may be left out in the cold. Of course, this is all pure speculation on my part. I know that PacifiCare has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Bruno in the past.

Will Power is set to join Team Australia for a one-off at the Gold Coast. I am a fan of these one-offs. I’ve been in some good discussions about one-offs. Like I said, I am a fan of them. I think to bring in a local attraction is a plus for the community. I think that people like to cheer for a hometown boy (or girl) and if a quality driver is waiting for the opportunity, then give ‘em a ride in front of their home crowd. Having said that, the argument against them makes a lot of sense. Let’s say, for example, that Will Power takes out Sebastien in Qualifying on Saturday, leaving Bourdais unable to compete on Sunday, therefore unable to clinch the championship. A little dramatic? Maybe. But possible? Definitely. One-offs simply lack experience and as if driving a Champ Car wasn’t hard enough, learning a tight city track like Surfer’s Paradise by hitting the ground running is even more difficult and more stressful. Imagine a battle taking place for the lead and this one-off has them approaching him at 200mph battling each other. It’s not an easy task to move out of the way on tight urban streets.

Nonetheless, I like them. I respect the argument against them, but I am a fan simply because they bring in more fans and generally speaking have been up to speed come race day.

Seabass needs 3 points to clinch, so basically he has to start Surfer’s and the championship is his. So, its safe to assume he has won back to back championships, a first for Newman/Haas racing and the first driver since Gil de ferran. Congratulations to the young Frenchman who tied Bobby Rahal with 18 pole positions in Vegas. He’s on the podium 53.3 percent of the time. Simply unbelievable. And, he has demonstrated this year that he can be very feisty. I like that. The series like that and the fans like that.