Champ Car: June 7th

WOW ! What a day. Thursday's Champ Car events kicked off with Media Day. Can I just say I like media day because I know what we are having for lunch....CHICKEN. I love it. I need to find out who caters because I will be going to that establishment many a day from here on out. I've had the same chicken the last four years. Its awesome. Ok, back to the reason why we have media day...the drivers. I had a chance to interview Graham Rahal. Great kid with a ton of talent and he is only 18. Take a listen to the interview ! Graham Rahal Interview




Every year, Champ Car and Global Events Group allows the media and invited guests to take a spin in a pace car. I've done my fair share of laps at Portland International Raceway. I've done 9 laps in a camera car. I almost got sick doing that. Today, I had the extreme pleasure in being the first person to break in the brand new Mazda pace car. I think we hit 120 just before throwing it into third gear and slamming the wheel hard right into the festival. So much fun. I want to drive it next time.

Thursday afternoon and evening was nothing short of a whirlwind Portland Metro tour. I had to be in Hillsboro to produce another episode of Bitsy Kelley Outdoors, head back downtown to a Champ Car Street Party and then head to SW Portland for an episode of Sports Business Radio. I can breathe finally.....ahhhh.

Lets talk about the street party. Champ Car brought in P.C.M for a pit stop demo. A strong crowd of a few hundred people lined SW 6th (and the corner of Oak) waiting for Alex Figge to start the car and do the pit stop thing. It was intense. The car was loud and the crowd really liked it. The Champ Car safety team lead a parade of real expensive cars onto SW 6th, dropping off some of the drivers of Champ Car and the Atlantic series. The band was good and the other activities kept the crowd entertained. Here is one of the four pit stop demos. Enjoy the video !


Friday is going to be fun. Paul Tracy will take the track and it will be great to see him back in the car. Paul Buker from The Oregonian has a great article on Paul.
PT Shakes Things Up !

Friday also will be a fun day for the boy of Sports Business Radio. One of Brian Berger's friends is racing in the Star Mazda Series. Phil Fogg Jr. has come on the show before and also sits on the local Ronald McDonald board with Brian. It will be cool to see him practice and prepare for the race.