OWW.net 5 years in: Editor's Top 5 moments

Continuing with our look back, we now move on to the moments that stood out above all others over the last 5 years. Narrowing the photo's down to just one was far too hard, so we decided to give our editors a little more leeway with this task and go with a top 5! Remarkably there were very few duplicates, once again proving that what appeals to each race fan is as diverse as the series and drivers themselves. Did any of your favorite moments make our top 5?

Wouter de Bruijn - Editor - Netherlands

1. Champ Car Euro tour 2007 - The best auto racing right in my backyard, and that for two races. We experienced the events at Zolder and Assen with a large team. Assen just went crazy with Doornbos' fans. Great memories remain!

2. Long Beach 2006 - The first Champ Car event I witnessed at the track. To hear the cars passing by for the first time and getting the stories from the paddock first-hand made up for the less than exciting race.

3. A.J. Allmendinger in 2006 - A driver that changes teams, suddenly starts winning and gave Bourdais a run for his money in the race for the championship. The best storyline in all five years.

4. Christiano da Matta's test crash at Road America 2006 - Without lows there are no highs. I remember being online when I first started hearing rumours about something that happened at the test. What followed was us trying to get the latest information by any means possible. Not fun but a very intense time that luckily ended in da Matta recovering.

5. Doornbos winning at Mt. Tremblant 2007 -  My fellow Dutchman Robert Doornbos showing that he can beat the big names in Champ Car on a fantastic track in damp conditions.

Patrick Straver - Managing Editor - Netherlands

1. Champ Car finale race Long Beach 2008 – The final goodbye to a series I’ve supported for many years. It was a very weird weekend, glad to see a lot of friends, sad because for many it was the final time.

2. Start of the Dutch Champ Car Grand Prix in 2007 – after a very tough and tiring couple of weeks, I was finally able to take some time to enjoy the Champ Car race in my home country.

3. Charles Zwolsman takes the Atlantics Championship in Montreal, 2005 – After having followed Charles - as a fellow-Dutchmen - the entire season for the site, this was a very deserved win title for Charles.

4. Justin Wilson takes the first race win for Dale Coyne Racing at Watkins Glen, 2009 – Dale Coyne has been around for so many years and is probably the smallest team, but this time David was able to conquer all Goliaths.

5. Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani start a fistfight in the pitlane of San Jose, 2006 – one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen in motorsports!

Alex Stannigel - Editor - Germany

1. Sebring 2006 - I did my very first stories for the site about the very first Panoz tests. Best was Roberto Moreno wanting to try and see if it actually could make donuts.

2. Elkhart Lake 2006 - The first race we covered in German and Katherine promptly had her horrific accident. I did the qualifying and race stories, by the way. :-)

3. Las Vegas 2007 - The first race covered under the ChampCarWorld.net banner. This name rose from my mind, by the way. :-)

4. Long Beach 2008 - The very last Champ Car race and the last race I covered on a regular base.

5. Indianapolis 2009 - Watching the race with a good part of the crew was a lot of fun.

Lars Buchweitz - Editor - Germany

1. Justin Wilson wins in Watkins Glen for Dale Coyne in 2009 - classic David vs Goliath story and a well deserved win for both Justin and all the brave men and women at Dale Coyne Racing. The race was always a nail-biter, as you never know how much fuel the red cars saved somewhere.

2. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, 2008 - It was again a great party at the Beach under all circumstances - A great farewell from one of the best racing series - a superb car and many beloved guys from the race track.

3. Graham Rahal wins is first ever Indycar race at St. Petersburg, 2008 - his first Indycar race after "unification" after he crashed in Homestead - my first Indycar race on TV ever - and the young gun beats the big boys under wet conditions. All the former Champ Car aces played also a big roll in the race. Great entertainment.

4. Dario Franchitti wins the championship finale at Homestead-Miami in 2009 - for someone who weren't into Indycar racing it was a boring race, but if you followed the season carefully - the ultra high speed duel between Dixon and Briscoe was a thrilling must see in 2009... Briscoe made everything perfect to win the championship - he lead most laps and... but there was no "and" for him... Dario played the fuel game early on and was lucky enough. Classic "The Winner takes it all" scenario and by the way first Oval race without a caution.

5. The 2007 Las Vegas Grand Prix - The new Champ Car racer, the Panoz DP-01 was a blast and the race track layout in Las Vegas was the most thrilling layout I ever seen for a street course. The City is a blast for any racing action! Unfortunately the Vegas Grand Prix was only flash in the pan.

Kyle Lavigne - Editor - N. America

1. Unification - Whether you call it that, blendification, hostile take-over, etc., still the biggest Open Wheel story over the last 14 years (minus Danica-mania). Surely the only thing that could even let us think that IndyCars would regain what the split took away.

2. A.J. Allmendinger's 2006 season - As an American, I fully admit that I wish American drivers do well. Allmendinger finally was bringing a U.S. presence back to Champ Cars, even after being fired from Rusport, then hired by Gerry Forsythe, only the be offered measly pay for 2007 & then jumping to Nascar. It brought me disappointment, joy, and frustration all in a span of about four months.

3. Graham Rahal's win in St. Pete - The first win of the "transition" brigade in the second event of unification. While we always knew they would struggle on the ovals, the road races gave them a real chance to shine, which Rahal took full advantage of that day. I expect more of the same (as different winners) this year, given the increased number of road and street races.

4. IZOD announces title sponsorship - What made NASCAR so popular in the U.S.? The partnership with J.R. Reynolds and Winston. Their marketing brought that sport into the mainstream and pumped money into it. I expect and hope IZOD can do the same for IndyCars.

Michele-Marie Beer - Managing Editor - N. America

1. Dale Coyne's first victory! - It can be said that every season/race that Dale Coyne Racing made it to the grid was a victory for the perpetually underfunded, understaffed team. But 2009 was a magical season. On the precipice of a win for a couple of seasons, DCR had tasted a handful of podiums, but never the sweet nectar of victory champagne. Until that Sunday. Justin was fast and on his game. You could sense early on that if he could somehow get out front, the race was his. And that's what he did. No attrition, no weather, just a head to head, mano e mano, may the best man win battle. And win he did. There is no rarer sight than watching every rival team owner & driver walk to victory lane to congratulate the winners. This was a victory for all underdogs, for anyone who has ever had a dream or faced insurmountable obstacles. There wasn't a frown or dry eye in the paddock that day.

2. Tracy comes back with a vengeance - That can be said of every race over the last couple of years, but this performance came following his recovery from a back injury after a freak accident at Long Beach. PT's "hit everything but the corner store" drive in Cleveland was a sight to behold. Multiple wing replacements saw Tracy drive from dead last to a head to head battle as the laps wound down to take the hard fought victory over the equally hard charging rookie Robert Doornbos. It was a nail biter to the very end.

3. 2007 What happens in Vegas... - New season, new track, new car, new podium! The brand new race through the streets of old Las Vegas was an electrifying way to kick off the 2007 season and debut the DP01. The track itself was spectacular, a mix of oval like corners, road course elevation changes, & street course surfaces & challenges, and exciting as hell to both the drivers & fans. The debut of the beautiful DP01 evened the playing field leading to a changing of the guard on the podium. Power's breakthrough win, Doornbos' first podium in his debut race, and the return of Tracy to the top of the charts started the season off in style!

4. Kat walks away with but a scratch - Open Wheel racing dodged a bullet that day at Road America when a catastrophic wing failure sent Kat's car careening into the fence, exploding into hundreds of little pieces, save for the one big piece that safely trapped her inside until help arrived. The racing world collectively held our breath as we awaited word on her condition. Moments later, tea in hand, smile on her face, she emerged from the medical trailer with a wave and we all collectively exhaled. Her courage & composure that day earned her much respect & accolades from fans & drivers alike.

5. 2006 Tracy wins over the hostile crowd in Montreal - Following a series of run-ins with french drivers mid season, Paul Tracy came into the Montreal weekend the series "villain", greeted with jeers & negative press from the moment he arrived. Never one to shy away from controversy, the rough around the edges Canuck took it all in stride and in superhero fashion. "Captain Quebec" won the hearts of the crowd & a spot on the podium by the end of the weekend!

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