Sebastien Bourdais Race Summary:
Sebastien Bourdais, behind the wheel of the No. 18 Team SealMaster – Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan car, came from 15^th place on the starting grid to finish 11^th in the Iowa Corn 300 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA. Bourdais, who was one of the few drivers that did not test here earlier in the month due to inclement weather, struggled in practice and qualifying. However, in the race the team made a change after the first pit stop that allowed Bourdais to “race.” The 13-year IndyCar veteran used all his skill and knowledge to manage his tires and run the longest stints of any driver. Bourdais was in the lower third of the field for much of the race, however during the last stint in particular, while other drivers were battling tire and handling issues, Bourdais was not only in control, but used the opportunity to make several late passes to work his way back to just outside the top-10.

Sebastien Bourdais Race Quote:

“The SealMaster Honda team pretty much got the best result we could have today. It has been a really tough weekend. We didn’t test here and when we unloaded we had to make a bunch of changes. I wouldn’t say we threw the kitchen sink at it because there was a lot of though and analysis that went into the changes we made. However, there were big swings trying to figure out how we could get the car in the zone. When you do that you start the race with an unknown and we got it wrong at first. Maybe we were too sensitive to the conditions. It only took two turns of front wing and that brought the car back to life. My race really started after the first pit stop. After that I was racy. It was a good recovery once we got those two turns of front wing out. I am really proud of the guys. They dug deep. I wish it had been a better result. We will keep trying and come back stronger next year.

Fast Facts:

• Bourdais earned 19 points today and is now 10^th in the championship standings with 254 points on the strength of four.top-10 finishes (three in the top-five) including a win at St. Petersburg, a fourth place finish in the INDYCAR GP and a fifth at Barber Motorsports Park (eighth in Texas).
• In five races at Iowa, Bourdais has finished in the top-10 twice placing eighth in 2016 and ninth in 2015).
• Bourdais is contesting his 13th Verizon IndyCar Series season, third with Dale Coyne Racing and first with Dale Coyne Racing w/ Vasser-Sullivan.
• The 2018 Iowa Corn 300 was Bourdais’ 182^nd Verizon IndyCar Series start, 38^th on an oval and fifth at Iowa Speedway.
• In 182 career IndyCar starts, Bourdais has won 37 races (sixth all-time) and captured 34 pole positions (seventh all-time).
• Of Bourdais’ 38 career oval starts, 30 have come in the last six years (29 in last five years).
• Bourdais has made 31 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).
• Bourdais, 39, is a native of Le Mans, France but resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Next Race and Broadcast Times:
Round 12 of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series, will be the Honda Indy Toronto, July 15, on the temporary street circuit at Toronto, Canada. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN at 3:00 p.m. ET.  It is also available on radio: XM 209 and IMS IndyCar Radio as well as online: IndyCar.com and Verizon IndyCar 15 app.