Sebastien Bourdais Race Summary:
Sebastien Bourdais drove the No. 18 Team SealMaster – Dale Coyne Vasser-Sullivan car to an eighth place finish today in the DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Bourdais qualified a TMS best and season high third. Starting from the inside of row two on the challenging 1.5-mile D-shaped oval, Bourdais ran in the top-10 the vast majority of the race and in the top-six for much of it, including leading three laps. If not for a couple of unlucky breaks, the result could easily have been in the top-five.
Sebastien Bourdais Race Quote:
“We finished eighth and got some good championship points, but obviously we were hoping for a lot better. The No. 18 SealMaster Honda was good. I think we had a top-five car. The guys did a good job with the pit stops. We had a strategy that could have worked, but the yellows worked against us. Honestly, I am not really sure what happened. We’ll just have to sit down and take a look at the race and get it figured out.”
Fast Facts:
Bourdais earned 25 points tonight and is 10th in the championship standings with 190 points. The eighth place finish was Bourdais’ fourth of the season including two top-5 showings, a season high third at Barber Motorsports Park, a fifth at COTA and ninth in the Detroit GP Race 2. Bourdais has finished 11th three times, Detroit Race 1, Long Beach and the INDYCAR Grand Prix. He placed 24th in the season opener at St. Petersburg (non-team related issue ended his race) and 30th in the Indy 500.
In six races at TMS, Bourdais has now finished in the top-10 three times. The eighth place finished ties his best performance at TMS. He also finished eighth last year (finished 10th in 2016).
Bourdais is contesting his 14th NTT IndyCar Series season and second with Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan.
The 2019 DXC Technology 600 was Bourdais 197th NTT IndyCar Series start, his sixth at Texas Motor Speedway and 42nd on an oval.
In 196 career IndyCar starts, he has won 37 races (sixth all-time) and captured 34 pole positions (seventh all time).
Of Bourdais’ 42 career oval starts, 34 have come in the last seven years (33 in last six years). He has four poles (Phoenix, 2018; Milwaukee, 2006; Las Vegas, 2005; Lausitz, 2003). Phoenix was his first pole since Mid-Ohio in 2014 and first on an oval since 2006 at Milwaukee. Bourdais has earned five oval wins (Milwaukee, 2015; Milwaukee 2006; Las Vegas in 2005 and 2004; Lausitz, 2003). The oval win in Milwaukee in 2015 was his first oval victory since 2006 also at Milwaukee.
Bourdais made eight oval starts in Champ Car earning four victories: Lausitz, 2003; Las Vegas, 2004 and 2005; Milwaukee 2006 and capturing three poles: Lausitz, 2003; Las Vegas, 2005; Milwaukee, 2006.
Bourdais is the only driver to win four consecutive IndyCar championships (2004 – 2007).
Bourdais, 40, is a native of Le Mans, France but resides in St. Petersburg, Florida
Next Race:
Round 10 of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series will be the REV Group Grand Prix at Road America, Sunday, June 23 on the Road America permanent road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
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