Dan CLARKE heads to South America for Champ Car season finale

Clarke has repeatedly shown his potential this season and as the only rookie to score a podium finish, the Champ Car paddock has been impressed with his debut year. Heading to Mexico City, Clarke knows he needs to finish with a top five result to end the season with a strong impression and prove that he’s going to be a favourite of fans and teams next year.

He says, "I know what the deal is for Mexico. I need to be one of the front-runners all weekend, straight out of the box. We have the team to do it; I have the ability to get on the pace within a matter of laps, so it’s an achievable goal. As at most circuits this season, there’s a core of drivers who’ve driven here before which is a small advantage, but I’ve also shown that I can be a match for these more experienced drivers, and I’m definitely going to be taking the fight to them this weekend."

The British driver is the only rookie of this year’s field to earn a podium finish and was the first rookie to score pole position. With top six finishes in three of the last four races, he’s eager to finish on a high note. He adds, "Apart from the race in Australia, we’ve had a string of good race weekends, posting good times and finishing high up in the points. With such close competition in Champ Cars every point counts and can make a big difference in the overall points standings. We’ll be all out to collect more this weekend and to take that rookie crown is the ultimate goal."

The race takes place at the challenging Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit. This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the Champ Cars running in Mexico City, in what has become one of the highest-attended racing events anywhere in the world. The event has averaged nearly 350,000 per event since its inception in 2002.

- Alison Hill-