Michel Jourdain Jr.


Michel Jourdain Jr. is a Mexican racecar driver, best known for winning two Champ Car races in 2003.

Formula racing

Jourdain started racing cars in the Mexican Formula Junior series at the age of 12. He then moved to the Mexican Formula K and Formula 2 series.
In 1996, Jourdain ran several races in the Indy Racing League and the CART series, including the Indy 500. At the age of 19, he became one of the youngest drivers to race in both Champ Car and the Indy 500. Jourdain raced full-time in Champ Car from 1997–2004. In his early years, he was largely considered a back marker; however, after joining the Rahal team in 2002, he became a championship contender. Jourdain ended his Champ Car career in 2004 with 1 pole, 2 wins, and 9 podium finishes.

NASCAR

Jourdain was supported by Mexican sponsors throughout his years in Champ Car. After losing his sponsorship following the 2004 season, Jourdain looked to the NASCAR Busch Series. At the time, NASCAR was trying to expand its fan base among Mexicans and Hispanic Americans.
Jourdain made 18 starts driving the number 10 ppc Racing Ford in 2005. He was able to notch one top ten finish, however in July ppc Racing announced that the team could not continue with a full season due to insufficient sponsorship. He ran two races later in the season for Keith Barnwell. Michel drove in his home race in Mexico City at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as well as two more races in the #15 in 2006 for Jill Burgdoff as well as 7 Craftsman Truck Series races in the Roush Racing #50 truck.

WTCC

In 2007 Jourdain competed in the FIA World Touring Car Championship for SEAT Sport. A troubled season saw him finish the year down in 18th place on points. Later in the year he was signed to drive in the A1GP series for A1 Team Mexico, returning to open-wheel racing for the first time since his Champ Car days.
In 2010, he returned to NASCAR for the Nationwide Series race at Road America when he practiced the #98 for Paul Menard since he was away racing at Infineon. Jourdain also competed in the P-WRC class of the 2010 Rally Mexico where he finished 7th in class.

Rally

During the 2003 Baja 1000 Jourdain, supported by girlfriend Ana Paola Romo, raced a SCORE Baja Challenge class vehicle finishing 6th in their class with a time of 31:01.31
In October 2010 Jourdain and his co-driver Miguel Ángel Diez got the second overall in La Carrera Panamericana in a Studebaker 1953, just 12.9 seconds behind from Harri Rovanperä.
The 2010 and 2011 World Rally seasons saw him start eight rallies with a best finish of 14th in the 2011 Rally México.

Motorsports career results

American open-wheel racing results

IndyCar Series

Indianapolis 500

CART/Champ Car

YearTeam1234567891011121314151617181920RankPoints
1996Dick Simon RacingMIARIOSRFLBH
23
NAZ500MIL
23
DET
DNQ
POR
22
CLETORMCHMDOROAVAN
16
LAG
26
37th0
1997Payton Coyne RacingMIA
18
SRF
18
LBH
17
NAZ
20
RIO
17
GAT
16
MIL
27
DET
22
POR
12
CLE
18
TOR
13
MCH
13
MDO
18
ROA
20
VAN
21
LAG
22
FON
18
29th1
1998Payton Coyne RacingMIA
28
MOT
22
LBH
27
NAZ
12
RIO
24
GAT
17
MIL
15
DET
13
POR
19
CLE
26
TOR
18
MCH
18
MDO
28
ROA
14
VAN
10
LAG
24
HOU
25
SRF
26
FON
12
24th5
1999Payton Coyne RacingMIA
18
MOT
18
LBH
18
NAZ
16
RIO
16
GAT
20
MIL
16
POR
20
CLE
27
ROA
7
TOR
21
MCH
21
DET
21
MDO
26
CHI
18
VAN
17
LAG
20
HOU
18
SRF
12
FON
13
25th7
2000Bettenhausen RacingMIA
14
LBH
11
RIO
15
MOT
12
NAZ
18
MIL
18
DET
8
POR
23
CLE
22
TOR
19
MCH
15
CHI
11
MDO
15
ROA
18
VAN
23
LAG
24
GAT
16
HOU
18
SRF
7
FON
11
22nd18
2001Bettenhausen RacingMTY
17
LBH
13
NAZ
13
MOT
11
MIL
13
DET
25
POR
15
CLE
25
TOR
16
MCH
3
CHI
23
MDO
17
ROA
17
VAN
6
LAU
17
ROC
19
HOU
25
LAG
23
SRF
7
FON
16
20th30
2002Team RahalMTY
4
LBH
4
MOT
5
MIL
5
LAG
9
POR
6
CHI
10
TOR
12
CLE
9
VAN
4
MDO
11
ROA
9
MTL
6
DEN
9
ROC
11
MIA
6
SRF
10
FON
13
MXC
13
10th105
2003Team RahalSTP
2
MTY
2
LBH
15*
BRH
6
LAU
3
MIL
1*
LAG
4
POR
12
CLE
7
TOR
2
VAN
4
ROA
16
MDO
4
MTL
1
DEN
6
MIA
7
MXC
4
SRF
4
3rd195
2004RuSPORTLBH
11
MTY
11
MIL
3
POR
14
CLE
15
TOR
15
VAN
2
ROA
9
DEN
14
MTL
6
LAG
4
LSV
11
SRF
17
MXC
9
12th185^

YearTeamCar12345678910111213141516171819202122DCPoints
2007SEAT SportSEAT LeónBRA
1
12
BRA
2
15
NED
1
15
NED
2
16
ESP
1
6
ESP
2
9
FRA
1
12
FRA
2
Ret
CZE
1
11
CZE
2
13
POR
1
12
POR
2
9
SWE
1
Ret
SWE
2
12
GER
1
12
GER
2
9
GBR
1
19
GBR
2
13
ITA
1
14
ITA
2
13
MAC
1
MAC
2
18th3

Complete A1 Grand Prix results

YearEntrant1234567891011121314151617181920DCPoints
2007–08A1 Team MexicoNED
SPR
NED
FEA
CZE
SPR
13
CZE
FEA
22
MYS
SPR
20
MYS
FEA
11
ZHU
SPR
ZHU
FEA
NZL
SPR
NZL
FEA
AUS
SPR
AUS
FEA
RSA
SPR
RSA
FEA
MEX
SPR
MEX
FEA
SHA
SPR
SHA
FEA
GBR
SPR
GBR
SPR
16th22

WRC results

NASCAR

Nationwide Series

Craftsman Truck Series