bourdais

Well, if Bourdais is announced as the driver for Torro Rosso in 2008 in Formula One (it might be official by the time you read this) then its time that Champ Car do something to commemorate and honor the biggest start to have driven for the series in quite a few years. This has nothing to do with the Tracy’s, the DaMatta’s or anybody else that has been a formidable champion in the last decade. This is about honoring a driver who came into the series and dominated from the get-go. He has been that good at every occasion, on any type of circuit. At this point in the series, the championship is far from being a foregone conclusion. Quite the contrary. But, whatever happens this season, Bourdais remains the most dominate driver in the series that we have seen in a long long time. Winning three championships in a row is an incredible accomplishment, no matter what the sport. Forget about the argument that he’s had the best seat, because be that as it may, winning is a total team effort and at the center of it all is the driver. You can be given the best car in the world, but if you don’t have the skills, you won’t win. Bourdais has had to face a lot of different challenges, whether its conquering oval racing AND street racing, whether its stepping up despite the challenges from the likes of Paul Tracy or Justin Wilson, or whether is adjusting to a new car this season, he has done it. He has done it with focus and poise seldom seen in the sport. Most telling is that whenever he’s been down, he’s risen to the challenge. That is the sign of a true champion. Whenever another driver in the series talks about the luxury of driving that #1 McDonald’s car, it’s done for psychological purposes. They know how good he is.

He’s also been highly criticized at times for his outspoken nature. He’s been called everything in the book, from a whiner to a spoil brat. But he has never let the critics bring him down and continues to plow on despite all of those things. He’s been emotional at times, whether it’s in Denver last year or in Tremblant this year. This guy speaks his mind. You have to respect that. And like anybody who speaks their mind publicly these days, sometimes they put their foot in their mouth. But trust me, I’d rather have someone speak his thoughts then someone who just toes the line. From a personal perspective, he’s fantastic because you know when you talk to him he’ll tell you EXACTLY how he feels. That’s refreshing, even if it’s not always popular. Say what you want, it takes a lot of guts to go on the PA in Tremblant and calls out the winner moments after it happened. Was it popular? Heck no. But in the coming days, more and more people starting agreeing with him. I found that telling.

I have had this conversation with people I work with, from newbies like myself to people who have been around for decades and the conclusion is usually the same: he’s the best we’ve seen. When Mario Andretti tells us he’s a special driver, it rings true. When Paul Newman talks about the joys of watching Bourdais on the track, you know he’s speaking from the heart.

He’s also the consummate professional. When he has an interview to do, he’ll do it with the utmost professionalism, no matter what kind of day he’s having. Sure, he might bitch and whine (watch the This or that from this year.) but he’ll do it and will be honest about it.

I’ve talked with Jim on the podcast about this in the past, the question: what would Bourdais be like if he drove for Conquest, for example, or a mid-pack team and I truly believe he’d still win races. Sure, not at the level he is now, but he’d find a way.

I’ll tell you this much, if I am a casual fan deciding on whether to attend Road America, Mexico City, or any of the remaining Champ Car races, that decision has been made, cause I would NOT want to miss the last chance to see Bourdais race on the historic Road America or anywhere else in Champ Car.

Finally, let’s remember one thing: Bourdais is the first driver to thank the fans of CC. whether its in post race interviews or prior to an event, he is VERY appreciative of us fans and that tells me something about the man.