Bourdais Wins Race 1 in Toronto

SBThe Toronto double-header has been condensed into one action-packed day. After a 2 hour and 30 minute weather delay on Saturday, IndyCar decided to field both races on Sunday. Sebastien Bourdais won the first race after starting on pole, leading 58 of the 65 laps in dominating fashion. It was career win number 32 for the Frenchman, which put him in eighth place on the all-time wins list, breaking a tie with Dario Franchitti and Paul Tracy. It was the first win for Bourdais since 2007, when he was still racing in Champ Car. Brazilian drivers Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan joined Sebastien on the podium.

It was a mistake-free race by Sebastien and the KV Racing crew, who earned their first victory since Tony Kanaan’s 2013 Indianapolis 500 win. In order to sweep both races though, they will have to make their way towards the front. The starting lineup for the second race is based upon entrant points, which means Bourdais will start in tenth.

It was a rock solid day for Castroneves, who extended his lead in the championship to 28 points over teammate Will Power, who finished in ninth place. Simon Pagenaud got caught up in the big accident on lap 1, but managed to fight his way back to a fourth place finish. Things didn’t go as well for championship contender Ryan Hunter-Reay. While battling up front, he tangled with Kanaan, which put him hard into the wall, breaking his left-front suspension. The team wasn’t able to repair the car in time, and he finished in 21st.

Click here to see the unofficial results of the Honda Indy Toronto Race 1

Two drivers that really needed a solid finish were able to do so. Scott Dixon finished fifth, and Graham Rahal just behind him in sixth spot. Charlie Kimball had a great run, finishing seventh after starting in 18th. Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe started and finished in eighth. He’ll have one more chance to win in front of the home crowd this afternoon.

Teams and drivers will now have just a few hours to prepare for round 2 of the double-header in Toronto. The second race begins at 4:15 PM ET on NBC Sports Network. The race will feature a standing start, and the grid will be set by entrant points, meaning Castroneves will have pole position, with teammate Will Power on the outside of row one.

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