Ain’t No Sunshine Since She’s Gone
Written by Allan Brewer · July 29, 2006
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Photo: Allan Brewer
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Rahal Letterman Racing Leaves Rice Looking for a Ride
Was Danica Patrick the glue that held Bobby Rahal’s Indy Racing League team together?
One week after Rahal/Letterman co-owner Bobby Rahal offered comments in Edmonton, Alberta that he and others might leave the Indy Racing League, RLR’s Indianapolis 500 champion driver Buddy Rice told the press that he is looking for a job.
IndyStar.com: Rice Wants to Stay, But Doing What?
“With a sponsorship uncertain at Rahal Letterman Racing, 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice has permission to look elsewhere for employment for next season.” says the Star.
The departure of media sensation and steadily-improving IRL sophomore Danica Patrick to Andretti/Green Racing announced this week leaves Rahal with former Indy champ Rice and accident-prone Jeff Simmons for the 2007 season. Simmons drives the Ethanol-sponsored number 17 car of the late Paul Dana, who was newly-migrated to RLR early this year to form the current three-car/driver stable.
“Bob’s a race car driver; he knows what it’s about,” Rice said at this weekend’s race site Michigan International Speedway. “He knows (it’s important) that when the music stops you’re not sitting out.”
“But we’ve had enough talks to know that I want to be back and we both want to keep going in the same direction. It just boils down to Bob having enough money to do that.”
Rice’s remarks leave the door open for him to take the Ethanol seat if Simmons were to leave the team. Ethanol’s long-term sponsorship agreement with the IRL could plausibly support a one-car RLR team into the next year and beyond. With reunification talks apparently sputtering, though, it’s hard to predict whether Rahal could or would take further time from his schedule to reorganize his IRL team into a one-driver outfit.
The news highlights the uncertainties that the fickle realities of “silly season” have created for the team. Last Sunday Rahal launched a week of statements and retractions with his remarks to the Edmonton Sun newspaper that “There’s a fifty-fity chance RLR, Ganassi and Penske will leave the IRL” while attending a race to watch his son Graham Rahal race Mazda Atlantic series cars in Canada. Rahal also lamented the time spent away from his racing team to follow his son, but foresaw no change in his family commitment superceding his IRL interests.
After Chip Ganassi issued his own terse statement contradicting him, Rahal acknowledge that he spoke only for RLR.
“Given the confusion that seems to exist surrounding some comments made during the Edmonton weekend, I think it best to clarify,” Rahal said in a statement. “I do not speak on behalf of nor do I know the future racing strategies of either Penske Racing or Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Any comments about the likelihood of such changes by RLR were made in the context of the discussion of a reconciliation in open-wheel racing versus other forms of racing.”
Now Rahal’s best driver is making Rahal’s comments look even more puzzling, as the team’s only sure sponsor (Ethanol) is committed to the IRL and its energy management program for the foreseeable future. What, indeed, was Bobby threatening to move to Champ Car? Without Danica, Rice and Argent, it doesn’t look like there’s much to put on the truck!
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4 Responses to “Ain’t No Sunshine Since She’s Gone”
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Ever since Buddy won the 500 he’s done nothing but run in thr 10-15 spots. It’s his own fault. Question is, who WILL sign with RLR?
Apparently the IRL is catching ChampCar-itis. A severe lack of sponsors followed by the sudden loss of drivers!
Now that RLR can no longer blame the departed Panoz package, the lack of competitiveness really shows.
PT from Champ Care should bring Forsythe over to IRL..THAT would be AWESOME
RLR leaving would not be a bad deal. Guys like Buddy Lazier and Marty Roth could get a better starting position and a higher finish before their cars broke down. Finishing 16th is better than 19th even if it is still dead last.