Asian Motor Sports

Sebastien Bourdais has clinched his fourth consecutive Champ Car world title and became the first two-time winner on the Gold Coast.

But Australia’s Will Power had a day to forget, crashing out of contention on lap 18 after starting from pole position on the challenging 4.47km Surfers Paradise street circuit.

But yet again there was to be no Australian appearance on the winner’s podium after Power’s race ended in frustration.

In an aggressive move, Power tried to pass Englishwoman Katherine Legge but made contact and smashed his rear tyres into a concrete wall.

“I can’t believe it, second year in a row,” said a shattered Power, who was taken out by Bourdais on the Gold Coast in 2006.

“I feel sorry for all the fans who came out to watch us today. They won’t get to see an Aussie out in front there or even finish the race.”

Bourdais, who will make the step up to Formula One in 2008, claimed the checkered flag 6.776 seconds ahead of Englishman Justin Wilson, with Brazilian Bruno Junqueira third.

The 2005 Gold Coast champion is the first person to win the Surfers Paradise event twice in 17 races.

Defending event champion Nelson Philippe placed sixth and Power’s teammate Simon Pagenaud was fifth in the 61-lap race.

Perhaps feeling the pressure of being the only Australian in the 17-driver field, Power made two crucial errors that ruined his chances of winning on home soil.

He made a clean start and was leading the race early until Mexican David Martinez clipped his green and gold Panoz as it was exiting the pits.

The Team Australia driver plummeted to 15th and he battled to make up lost ground before his collision with Legge ended his race.

“He obviously really wanted to do well in front of his home crowd and I can understand that but at the end of the day we were racing for position and I thought I gave him enough room,” said Legge, who also failed to finish the race.

“I think we’ll chalk that down to experience.”

Power was handicapped going into the race after his push-to-power boost was sliced from 75 seconds to 35 seconds due to a penalty from the previous round in the Netherlands.