BACK IN BUSINESS; Rain washes out the race, then Bourdais mops up the field.(Motorsports)(Sebastien Bourdais)(Champ Car Grand Prix of Montreal)(Event overview)

Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH

Champ Car fans had to wait an extra day for the conclusion of the fifth, and unfortunately final, Champ Car Grand Prix of Montreal. Newman-Haas driver and reigning champ Sebastien Bourdais added to his points lead with his sixth win this year, while four-time winner A.J. Allmendinger, second in points before the race, finished last, the victim of a faulty gearbox.

The race began Sunday in unfavorable weather, as rain fell all day, postponing the Champ Car Atlantic race that was to precede the Champ Car race. With Bourdais on the pole and the entire field on Bridgestone's softest rain tires, it was still a mess, with Forsythe driver Allmendinger starting second and getting past Bourdais on the first lap. The race ended after seven laps, due to zero-visibility conditions. Champ Car finally postponed the race until 10 a.m. Monday.

The track was still wet for the Atlantic cars Monday morning, developing a dry line with only eight laps to go. Still, most of the Champ Car teams started on the red-sidewall, soft Bridgestone slicks. The race restarted on lap seven with the lineup from Sunday, but the green flag did not drop until lap 10. Initially it was follow-the-leader until lap 14, when Allmendinger's car developed the gearbox trouble.

With Allmendinger out, the parade was led by Bourdais, then Forsythe driver Paul Tracy and RuSport's Justin Wilson. Toronto native Tracy had antagonized the Montreal fans all week, building on his physical dust-ups with Frenchman Bourdais after the last race and Montreal's Alex Tagliani the race before that. Tracy was roundly booed by the crowd during introductions, but played to the audience by wearing a wrestler's mask and cape during Sunday's preliminary events.

On lap 19, PKV rookie Katherine Legge spun-she had crashed Sunday, but was allowed to restart five laps down-bringing out the yellow flag. Several cars pitted on lap 20, setting up an alternate pit strategy that would play into the race later.

On lap 31, PKV's Oriol Servia crashed entering the pits and most of the leaders pitted. Unfortunately, Wilson came in when the pits were closed and was moved from the front to the rear of the pack. He would crash out later.