Bourdais ready to get back to work at Gateway

Just over three months after fracturing his pelvis and right hip in a horrific Indy 500 qualifying crash, Sebastien Bourdais is thrilled simply to be back in the cockpit this weekend at Gateway.

"It's just really good to come back, and really looking forward to it," Bourdais said Friday. "We never really know exactly the timing of things. We knew six weeks for weight-bearing, providing the that X-rays looked good, and eight for walking. We did eight and a half for weight-bearing and transitioned really quickly into walking, got out of the office and started walking. I was feeling good enough at that stage, and the doctor in Tempe was pretty happy with what he saw, and then Terry [Trammell] and Dr. Scheid didn't exactly agree with it, so there was a little setback and the cane popped back and things like that, but I'd say overall as soon as we did X-rays and the bone looked pretty strong, I knew things were looking good.

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"And then we went out west for the trip that was planned a long time ago with the family, and that went very well, and when I came back, drove the coach back from Vegas to Indy and went to see Dr. Scheid again, and we did the final – what had the potential to be the final check but not necessarily on the 15th of August. He really obviously was pleased with the X-rays and everything looked really strong.

"At that point it was a green light, and let's go racing. I couldn't be any happier about that. Yeah, just looking forward to putting this story behind and just getting back to work."

Bourdais initially set the Sonoma season finale as a practical goal for return, but he underwent vigorous rehab and insisted he wanted to come back earlier than mid-September. He got in the No. 18 DCR Honda the day after the Mid-Ohio race on July 31, and has been at the racetrack over the past few races before he was cleared to race last week. But that doesn't mean all doubts about his physical fitness have been erased.

"I think you always have to prove yourself or re-prove yourself in racing," he said of his push to return for the season's last three races. "There's no doubt about that. Because those questions are going to be in people's mind and everything, I just wanted to make sure that that's taken care of and we just can go back to work and just not worry about it. And obviously then get back in the groove with the team, put the process back in place, and we don't know. Nobody knows really what is going to be felt about it next year or not, and there will be necessary adjustments for sure.

"But we're still going to be learning every time we go out and do things. Just coming here, obviously it's a new track. If you show up next year and you've never raced there, you're at a disadvantage. So yeah, every little bit of experience helps."