Team Rahal Expands Its IndyCar Series Program

Three Cars Will Be Entered In The Indianapolis 500

By Dave Lewandowski indyracing.com

Thursday Mar 18, 2004

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- On March 11, Fernandez Racing co-owner and driver Adrian Fernandez announced he was moving the team to the IRL IndyCar® Series.

On March 18, Team Rahal co-owner Bobby Rahal announced that he also was leaving the Champ Car series and will double the team's entries in the IndyCar Series.

"Obviously, this is a big day, historic day for me personally and for all of us at Team Rahal," Rahal said on a conference call. "We are anxious to get going on this venture, quite excited about it. I think given how things went at Homestead, having two cars is definitely going to help us continue to be competitive throughout the year. So we look forward to having two cars in the IndyCar Series throughout this year. Of course, that will also mean three cars for us at Indianapolis."

Rahal, a three-time Champ Car series champion and its former CEO, will make the move without his team's primary sponsor, Gigante. They have mutually agreed to end their partnership. Rahal said a new sponsor will be announced in the near future.

Rahal, in Sebring, Fla., where he’ll be inducted into the 12 Hours of Sebring Hall of Fame this weekend, said the move was driven by business reasons.

“The ever-evolving and difficult nature of the racing business and the state of our sport today requires that we must evaluate our programs and determine what is in the best interest of our team and our sponsors,” said Rahal, 51, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner.

“The decision has been made that it is best for our team to concentrate on having two cars for the entire IRL season and adding the third entry for Motegi and Indy.

“We have stated before that running a multiple-car effort in a single series not only provides competitive advantages, but certain economic benefits. It was simply becoming too much of a drain on our team in terms resources and time to run championship caliber programs in IndyCar, Champ Car and Atlantics.”

Team Rahal runs Buddy Rice in the No. 15 Pioneer/Argent Mortgage Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone in the IndyCar Series. It will add a second car for the remaining 14 races – and a third for the 88th running of the Indianapolis 500. It already had planned to have a second car, with Roger Yasukawa behind the wheel, entered in the Japan Indy 300 in April and the 500-Mile Race in May.

Rahal said that Michel Jourdain, his Champ Car series driver, will not join him in the IndyCar Series.

"While we certainly wanted Michel to join us, he has decided to remain in the Champ Car series," Rahal said. "That's a disappointment certainly to us because we've built a strong partnership over the last two years. While personally I'm disappointed with his decision, I fully understand it, given the fact that there's not an IRL IndyCar race in Mexico yet.

"So I kind of understand it, and I wish him luck. We're actively seeking out a candidate. Of course, as you all know, there's a lot of very talented people out there. I'm sure we'll be able to get something sorted out here very quickly."

Rahal might not have to look too far. Rice is filling the seat of Kenny Brack, who is rehabilitating from injuries sustained in a crash in the 2003 season finale at Texas Motor Speedway. Rice won the MBNA Pole award and finished seventh in the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Feb. 29.

Brack, who will serve as a consultant to Team Rahal for the Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend, has said he’s anxious to get back behind the wheel.

"While we're looking at a number of individuals, we have not made a decision yet," Rahal said. "But whomever it is will certainly have been competitive in open-wheel racing in the highest categories in the past, and that will be a very important criteria for us because, again, so much hinges around Kenny and his personal progress that we have to be flexible. We'll certainly proceed in that manner."