Bourdais a Driver of All Types

Sebastien Bourdais

So what does a driver do after winning a race? If you're Sebastien Bourdais and you just won the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250, you hop behind the wheel of your family's motorcoach and drive it to the next event, the Iowa Corn 300.

Following a victory tour of Milwaukee morning shows July 13, Bourdais packed up his wife, Claire, children, Emma and Alex, and a the spoils of victory – a 22-pound wheel of cheese – in the motorhome and headed to Newton, Iowa, and another opportunity for Bourdais to continue his ascent in the Verizon IndyCar Series standings.

Through three-fourths of the Verizon IndyCar Series season, he's secured two victories and five other top-10 finishes and stands in sixth place in the championship. Bourdais, who gathered up his son and daughter in his arms minutes after prevailing over Helio Castroneves by 2.2366 seconds in the arduous 250-lap Milwaukee race, won for the fifth time on an oval.

"It's one of those days where just everything works out," said Bourdais, who led three times for a field-high 118 laps on the 1.015-mile oval.
Of course, it's worked out well over Bourdais' Indy car career – 34 victories to tie Al Unser Jr. for seventh all time, four series championships and 33 pole starts – that was bisected by an unsatisfying stint in Formula One.

"I respect the stats because you put yourself on a very special list with very respected and great drivers. But I don't live for stats," said Bourdais. "I don't look and contemplate myself. It's not me. I just enjoy the moment, have fun with it."

Driving for powerhouse Newman/Haas Racing from 2003-07, Bourdais won 41 percent of his starts. He returned to Indy car racing part time in 2011 and didn't compete in a full season until 2013 with overmatched Dragon Racing. Now in his second year with KVSH Racing, co-owned by former Indy car driver Jimmy Vasser, Kevin Kalkhoven and James "Sully" Sullivan, the on-track performance is matching his competitive spirit in waves.

"(KVSH Racing) gave me a chance to finally get me back in a car that's something able to contend for wins," he said. "Not every weekend, but it's a very competitive field. When you look who can win every weekend, it's actually not so easy.

"I'm 36 years old, and I don't feel I've been any better than I am right now. I'm just hoping it lasts as long as it can."