Bourdais escapes injury in Cleveland smash.

Having seen his winning run come to a close in Portland, Sebastien Bourdais failed to make the podium for the first time in the 2006 Champ Car World Series after the defending champion was involved in a dramatic accident shortly after the start of the Grand Prix of Cleveland.

Given past races, many expected the opening turn at the Burke Lakefront circuit to provide the early drama, but instead it was the run to turn two where the problems arose when Bourdais, Paul Tracy and Bruno Junqueira touched wheels - with Tracy being launched into the air and onto the top of Bourdais.

Briefly knocked unconscious, the Frenchman was transported by ambulance to the Metro Health Hospital for a precautionary CT scan before being released before the end of the race.

"I was slowly fading away as the pressure [from the bottom of Tracy's race car] was increasing," Bourdais said of the incident. "Maybe his tyre hit me when he came up but it was the bottom of his car that was on top of my head. I probably lost a little consciousness because by the time the whole thing stopped, I didn't know if it was a dream or where I was, what happened. I couldn't put everything together. For example I don't remember [assistant team manager] Kenny Siwieck calling me three times or answering him.

"At some point I started coming out of it and saw people running toward the car. I don't know what happened; I haven't seen the video so I can't comment too much. I know I didn't change my line but don't know how Tracy got on my head. That's what can happen when you race wheel to wheel. I got turned around and the next thing I knew was that there was a car on top of my head. He missed the rollbar and was pushing me down into the cockpit; I was the shock absorber for him.

"I must have started losing consciousness then because the next thing I remember was being stopped in the grass and people coming at me. The design of the cars really helped me because your head is not sticking out much. If it was Nigel's [Mansells] car from ten years ago I would have been in trouble."

Bourdais collected three points for his 18th place finish and was able to maintain the points lead over Justin Wilson who crashed after a part broke on his race car and finished in 13th place.