Sebastien Bourdais Race Day Summary:
Sebastien Bourdais was looking at a possible top-five finish in the 102^nd running of the Indianapolis 500 when an incident while working lap 138 of the 200 lap race ended his day. Bourdais started an Indy 500 career best fifth in the No. 18 Team SealMaster – Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan entry. Utilizing a slightly different strategy then most of the field, he was running in seventh place when he made his fourth and what should have been his penultimate pit stop. Rejoining the contest, Bourdais was again on the move. However, while attempting to pass Alexander Rossi, he spun in the short chute between turns three and turn four and made contact with the turn four wall ending his day. Bourdais led four laps today making him the only driver to have led laps in the first six races of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

Sebastien Bourdais Race Day Quote:
“The Sealmaster Honda No. 18 was pretty good, but on a couple of restarts I got caught out and wasn’t aggressive enough, so I got chewed up by a bunch of guys. I was trying to make up for lost ground and picking them off one by one. The stint before was really strong, the car felt very good, so when I left the pits I was trying to get ahead of Rossi. I got a good run on him coming off of turn three and tried to stay in and make the pass. The car unloaded and I tried to drive through the understeer. The front hooked a little bit and snapped out on me and that was that. I gave it my best shot and, unfortunately, those things were really tricky today with the heat. The downforce was really low and it was very difficult to be flat. I’m just disappointed for the Dale Coyne Vasser-Sullivan guys. They worked so hard all month and we lost a chance on some valuable championship points.”

Fast Facts:

• Bourdais is now eighth in the championship standings with 168 points, just 18 points out of fifth. He has three top-five finishes in the first six races of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season including a victory at St. Petersburg,
• The 2018 Indy 500 was Bourdais’ 177^th Verizon IndyCar Series start, 36^th on an oval and seventh Indianapolis 500.
• In his seven Indianapolis 500 starts, Bourdais has finished in the top-10 two times with a best showing of seventh in 2014 (finished ninth in 2016). He has qualified in the top-10 twice in seven with a best starting spot of fifth this year (seventh in 2015).
• Bourdais total of 108 laps led this year is the fourth most this season
• Bourdais is contesting his 13th Verizon IndyCar Series season, third with Dale Coyne Racing and first with Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan.
• In 176 career IndyCar starts, Bourdais has won 37 races (sixth all-time) and captured 34 pole positions (seventh all-time).
• Of Bourdais’ 36 career oval starts, 28 have come in the last six years (27 in last five years).
• Bourdais has made 29 IndyCar oval starts (includes 2005 Indy 500) with a best qualifying effort of first (pole) at Phoenix in 2018. Phoenix was his first pole since Mid-Ohio in 2014 and first on an oval since 2006 when he captured the pole at Milwaukee (previous high was fourth at Fontana in 2013). His best finish is a victory at Milwaukee in 2015. It was his first oval win since 2006 also at Milwaukee.
• Bourdais made seven oval starts in Champ Car earning four victories: Lausitz, 2003; Las Vegas in 2004 and 2005; Milwaukee 2006 and capturing three poles: Lausitz, 2003; Las Vegas 2005 and Milwaukee in 2006.
• Bourdais is the only driver to win four consecutive IndyCar championships (2004 – 2007).

Next Race and Broadcast Times:
Round 7 and 8 of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series, will be the Dual in Detroit, featuring two races, one on Saturday, June 2 and the second on Sunday, June 3 at the Belle Isle temporary street circuit in Detroit, MI. The race will be broadcast live on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET both days.  It is also available on radio: XM 209 and IMS IndyCar Radio as well as online: IndyCar.com and Verizon IndyCar 15 app.