Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 | 9:02 a.m.
Bourdais capitalizes on others' mistakes
With 36 laps to go Sunday, Sebastien Bourdais was running 13 seconds behind leader Paul Tracy. But the fabulous Frenchman produced another improbable victory at the Grand Prix of Denver.
"We'd like to make it a tradition," said car owner Paul Newman, the actor who won for the third consecutive time, and second straight with Bourdais, on the 1.65-mile street course around the Pepsi Center.
Bourdais, 26, didn't rally from worst to first as he did a year ago in Denver. But thanks to a gigantic mistake when Tracy took himself out of contention with a single-car crash on lap 62 of the 97-lap race, Bourdais' third consecutive Champ Car victory was as dominant as his 2004 beauty here.
Despite battling a cold and thinking he was destined to finish no better than second behind Tracy, Bourdais remained patient and seized his opportunity. He later benefited when Mexico's Mario Dominguez, who was one of Bourdais' closest pursuers, made an error that temporarily left him unable to see.
Bourdais, who started second, took the checkered flag in 1 hour, 49 minutes, 45.135 seconds.
Kinser upholds family tradition
At Knoxville, Iowa, Kraig Kinser kept the family name out front at the Knoxville Nationals.
Kinser claimed the pole position earlier in the day and then led from start to finish in the 30-lap feature Sunday night to claim the $140,000 first-place check, the richest prize in sprint car racing.
It was the first Nationals title for Kinser, but the latest in a long string for his family.
His father, Steve, known as "The King of the Outlaws," has won the Nationals 12 times. Their cousin, Mark Kinser, was a three-time winner.
"I'm still breathless," Kraig Kinser said after climbing two fences to celebrate his victory. "This is awesome."
The championship race was moved to Sunday night after being rained out on Saturday.
Sharp lashes out at media after win
At Sparta, Ky., Scott Sharp took a shot at his critics after racing to his first Indy Racing League victory in more than two years.
"No one likes to read that negative stuff about yourself," Sharp said after holding off Vitor Meira by 0.0779 seconds Sunday in the Amber Alert Portal Indy 300.
"But after awhile, it almost becomes comical because they know about five percent of the story. You almost wonder if these people writing were sitting at home instead of actually being at the racetrack.
"I shoved it off because in the big picture, it doesn't matter."
The only thing that mattered to Sharp on Sunday was staying low on the track, so Meira would have to pass him on the outside.
"He did a good job of holding his line and protecting his position," said Meira, who led for 11 laps earlier in the race.
Driving a Honda for Delphi Fernandez Racing, the 37-year-old Sharp averaged 175.981 mph on the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Speedway en route to his ninth series victory. He was winless in 40 races since taking a 2003 event in Japan.
Medlen edges Force in Funny Car
At Brainerd, Minn., Eric Medlen defeated 13-time Funny Car champion John Force on reaction times Sunday in the finals of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals At Brainerd International Raceway.
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock), and G.T. Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won their divisions in $1.6 million event, the 16th of 23 in the drag racing series.
Tony Schumacher had the fastest run in drag racing history Saturday, reaching 337.58 mph in qualifying. He needed to clock of speed of at least 334.21 on Sunday to certify the performance as an NHRA national record, but didn't reach the mark.
-- Sun wire services
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