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The impact of Bobby Rahal on the face of American open-wheel racing is difficult to fully grasp. Few individuals have had the opportunity to impact their sport as an athlete, owner and executive. In the case of Bobby Rahal he has made a significant impact in each area.
As a driver Rahal won three CART championships (1986, 1987, 1992) and the 1986 Indianapolis 500. A study in consistency, Rahal missed a top-ten championship finish only once in his 18 year open-wheel racing career. Twice named Driver of the Year (1986 & 1992) Rahal remains the only owner-driver to win a CART championship (1992). A versatile driver who also had starts in Formula 1, NASCAR, Can-Am and IROC, Rahal won the Daytona 24 in 1981 and was a winner in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1987.
As a team owner Rahal has overseen the growth of Rahal Letterman Racing from a one-car program to a multi-car, multi-discipline organization. Rahal has been responsible for finding and developing some of the top-young talent in open-wheel racing. Among his current and past protégées are 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice, Danica Patrick, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Vitor Meira. He continues to give his guidance to the young drivers of the future in 2009 as his RLR team takes over the organization of the Formula BMW Americas series, providing a proving ground and stepping stone for young open-wheel drivers.
It also was Bobby Rahal who was responsible for bringing Honda into North American open-wheel racing in the early 90s, an involvement as a manufacturer that has produced eight championships and over 100 victories including three Indy 500 triumphs. In 2009 he has helped steward BMW in its long-awaited return to Americas sportscar racing as RLR campaigns two new M3s in the American Le Mans Series.
Rahal also has served the sport on the executive level. He served briefly as the President and CEO of CART in 2000 and in 2001 he was the President and Team Principal of Jaguar Formula 1 Racing. In recent years Rahal’s leadership of the Stars of Tomorrow Karting Series brought a stability and order to the karting ranks that was non-existent a decade ago. His successes have not been limited to the race track, as his Rahal Automotive Group of auto dealerships and service centers have won numerous awards, setting the highest standards for customer service and support.
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