rpm.espn.com: Rahal taps Rice as future driver

ESPN Network: ESPN.com \| RPM \| NFL.com \| NBA.com \| NHL.com \| ESPNdeportes \| ABCSports \| EXPN \| FANTASY

Start your engines!
Play RPM.ESPN Stock Car Challenge!

Win a Honda S2000!
Play The CART Challenge powered by Honda!

Saturday, April 7
Rahal taps Rice as future driver
By Robin Miller
Special to ESPN.com

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Bobby Rahal remembers when he was in his mid-20s and worried what the future held. He had talent, just no assurance it would ever be tapped.

"I didn't have much going on until Jim Trueman came along and took a chance on me," recalled Rahal, who managed to repay Trueman with a CART title and Indy 500 victory before he died of cancer in 1986.

"Without Jim, who knows what would have happened to my career? That's why I want to try and help Buddy."

On the eve of CART's annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Rahal announced Saturday he had signed Buddy Rice to a contract and had the first option on the 2000 Toyota Atlantic champion for the 2002 season. His goal is to find funding for Rice ands expand his team to three cars.

"I've studied Buddy's career and I'm impressed with him as a racer and as a young man," said Rahal, who currently campaigns Kenny Brack and Max Papis in the FedEx Championship in addition to running Jaguar's program in Formula One. "We've got the first option on him for next year and we're both working hard trying to find sponsorship.

"A three-car team is pretty daunting but it's beginning to look like a popular thing."

Rice, a 25-year-old native of Phoenix, tested a Formula 3000 car over the winter and had hoped for a shot at the series that delivered '99 CART champ Juan Montoya and current Target/Ganassi drivers Bruno Junqueira and Nicolas Minassian.

And it's just as well because Rice's heart is in CART.

"This is the series I was groomed to run in and I want to run in and I can't thank Bobby enough for trying to make it a reality," said Rice. "We started talking last summer and decided this was something we both wanted to pursue.

"I'm going to hang out with his team this season and learn as much as possible."

Stallone was Driven
Actor Sylvester Stallone, whose racing movie, Driven, premiers in Los Angeles on April 16 and nationally on April 27, admitted he had no idea of what was required to handle an 800-horsepower champ car before he began attending CART races last year.

"I thought they were just brave guys who got in and motored around," said Stallone, who met the press along with director Rene Harlin to help promote their flick, based on life in the FedEx Championship.

"I knew they were brave but I had no idea they were so skilled mechanically. They really understand the technology of the cars."

Stallone and Harlin participated in Derek Daly's Driver's School in Las Vegas and also took CART 101 (another driving experience) and came away with a new perspective.

"People underestimate the athleticism, brains and commitment to be involved in the most dangerous sport in the world. It requires a lot more than guts."

Added Harlin: "The incredible precision is what really blew me away. I ran some go-karts but I never fully appreciated what this business was all about until we got involved with CART."

Beam me a fire extinguisher, Scottie
One of the highlights of the Long Beach weekend is always the race featuring celebrities in equally matched Toyota Celica. Over the years, Gene Hackman, Jay Leno, Clint Eastwood, Ashley Judd, David Hasselhoff, Melissa Joan Hart, George Lucas, Tim Allen, Carol Alt, Cameron Diaz, Anthony Edwards, Joe Montana, Craig T. Nelson and James Garner have traded fenders during the years.

This year, William Shatner tried his hand at taming the 1.9-mile street circuit and the former Star Trek hero found it to be rather exciting.

During Friday's qualifying, "Captain Kirk" was sailing along, minding his own business when he started smelling smoke.

"I thought I was on fire, not the car," said Shatner. "I knew something was burning up and I knew something was wrong when Jim Kelly (former NFL quarterback) passed me.

"I was thinking, 'How is that possible?' I'm much faster than Kelly."

Shatner pulled over with the rear of his car ablaze and hopped out, taking a quick bow for his adoring fans.

Turns out Shatner shifted from fifth to second to set off the fireworks.

"The car caught fire and I had heartburn," he chuckled.

Shatner didn't win Saturday's race (that was Josh Brolin) but managed to finish - in one piece - and was beaming, so to speak.

"That was the kick of my life," he exclaimed. "I was passed, I passed others and we finished. It was great."

Spark plugs:

This is the 27th running of the Toyota Grand Prix. The event began in 1975 with a Formula 5000 race, and Formula One ran in the streets of Long Beach from 1976 through 1983. CART arrived the next year.

Honda-powered drivers have won the last five races here.

Vasser will be making his 149th career start Sunday, breaking out of a tie with the late Scott Brayton for 10th on the all-time list.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

	Castroneves nips field for Long Beach pole Long Beach GP starting lineup Rahal inks Rice to option for 2002 Life's a beach for CART this weekend CART: Drivers to Watch Tracy survives tough practice day