Like father, like son. Next season, Rahal Jr is following in his father's footsteps and moving up to the Atlantic Series sanctioned by Champ Car World Series. BOBBY RAHAL ran Formula Atlantics in the late Seventies and finished second in 1977, behind GILLES VILLENEUVE. Now Graham will run the series, possibly in a team owned by his father. Official Champ Car sources said Rahal was on the list of 36 requests for the new engine package.
Young Rahal, who is not yet 17 years old, has a lot of options open for next season, although he told me he couldn't tell me because I would just write about them. One opportunity he can discuss is the Porsche ride with a team TONY DOWE is running for the 2006 Rolex 24 Hours of
Daytona. Regretfully, said Graham, his father won't be co-driving with him in that race. Last month, Graham won the SCCA National Atlantic Championship at the Run-offs, becoming the youngest-ever SCCA national champion.
The SFR Mazda Miatas have two races this weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. This is a local series indigenous to the Northern California area, sanctioned by San Francisco Region Sports Car Club of America.
Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development announced Sunday a new series, the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Cup, Presented by Hankook, which will replace the existing Mazdaspeed Miata Cup for first and second generation Miatas. The new series will feature the third-generation 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata. There will be eight races and details to be released later.
Sunday morning, the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Michelin will have a 45-minute race. KEVIN ROUSH has the pole position in a 29-car field.
Both classes of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge, Touring Class and GT Class race Sunday. The Touring Class has a 50-minute race Sunday morning, with points leader PETER CUNNINGHAM on pole. Next to him on the front row will be RANDY POBST, who is second in the standings. Thirty-six of the 38 entered drivers qualified Saturday morning in partly cloudy weather.
