IndyCar

CHAMPCAR/CART: Team Australia Awards dinner notes

TEAM AUSTRALIA COLLECTS AWARDS AT CHAMP CAR GALA BANQUET Team Australia has collected numerous awards at this year's Champ Car Gala Banquet in Indianapolis over the weekend. Fresh from his debut Champ Car podium in Mexico City, Will Power ...

Edited: Mar 27, 2008, 5:34 AM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

TEAM AUSTRALIA COLLECTS AWARDS AT CHAMP CAR GALA BANQUET

Team Australia has collected numerous awards at this year's Champ Car Gala Banquet in Indianapolis over the weekend.

Fresh from his debut Champ Car podium in Mexico City, Will Power collected three accolades over the night.

The Australian driver received his Roshfrans Rookie of the Year trophy and US$15,000 cheque, becoming the first Australian to win the prestigious award. Previous recipients include Sebastien Bourdais, Juan Pablo Montoya, Alex Zanardi, Gil de Ferren, Jacques Villeneuve, Nigel Mansell, Arie Luyendyk and Bobby Rahal.

Power also collected the Bridgestone Passion for Excellence Award for completing the fastest aggregate race lap around every circuit on the 2006 Champ Car World Series schedule.

That is, if all 14 tracks were laid end to end, the driver with the fastest cumulative lap, based on his or her best race lap at each track, earns the Bridgestone Passion for Excellence Award.

Power received a custom-made painting by Jim Swintal, motoring artist and Champ Car Clerk of Course, depicting the Toowoomba-born driver's brilliant pole position at his home event, the Lexmark Indy 300.

"This is certainly the most unique trophy I have ever received and I have to thank Bridgestone and Jim Swintal for this great painting," said Power.

"The picture will remind me of one of the most special weekends in my life and I'm grateful to have won this award.

"I will never forget my first Champ Car pole at Surfers Paradise and my rookie season in Champ Car and this painting will always be a reminder of this season."

Power also received his trophy for sixth in this year's Champ Car World Series, making Power the highest placed Australian in the history of the championship.

Alex Tagliani was presented with his eighth place trophy in this year's championship. The Canadian's efforts this year represent the fifth-consecutive season that Tagliani has finished in the top 10 in the Champ Car World Series.

Power and Tagliani were joined by Team Australia Co-Owner Derrick Walker and the Aussie Vineyards squad's 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Champion Simon Pagenaud to receive the Sherwin-Williams Best Paint award.

Team Australia's striking green and gold Aussie Vineyards Champ Cars won US$10,000 best presented car awards at the Houston, San Jose and Montreal events as well as taking the overall award of US$20,000.

Team Australia's paint shop manager Scott Turner has already had his superb talents and efforts recognised once this year when he was asked to paint the first new Panoz DP01 Champ Car for its unveiling in San Jose.

Turner says that the Sherwin-Williams Awards help spur on teams to keep outdoing each other in terms of car presentation.

"What can I say, I'm very excited," said Turner.

"It's great that Sherwin-Williams has given painters this initiative.

"It gives us something extra to shoot for. I hope that this continues.

"It's been great for the series and it adds more competition for the series. I'm really excited that our hard work has paid off and is noticed."

-credit: www.teamaustraliamotorsport.com

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article IRL: Team Penske Pit Notes 2006-11-16

Next article CHAMPCAR/CART: Bridgestone extends relationship

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Phoenix II

1 h

GTA VI 'Vice City' blimp to appear at NASCAR championship weekend

Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance

WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 2 h

Verstappen Racing struggles to 15th as Porsche takes emotional Portimao pole

Franco Colapinto urges fans to stop the abuse: “You’re not helping me or my future”

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Singapore GP

6 h

Franco Colapinto urges fans to stop the abuse: “You’re not helping me or my future”

Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Indonesian GP

7 h

Gresini: New MotoGP rules won't increase gap between factory and satellite teams

Feature

Discover prime content

Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game

Feature

IndyCar

Feature

IndyCar

By Joey Barnes

Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game

You Ask The Questions: David Malukas

IndyCar

By Joey Barnes

You Ask The Questions: David Malukas

Top 10 Ganassi IndyCar drivers of all time

IndyCar

By John Oreovicz

Top 10 Ganassi IndyCar drivers of all time

Alex Palou still unstoppable as Nashville win edges him closer to fifth IndyCar title

IndyCar

Nashville

By John Oreovicz

Alex Palou still unstoppable as Nashville win edges him closer to fifth IndyCar title

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts