In 2004, Buddy Rice came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a re-building team and surprised everyone the 88th Indianapolis 500. Now, he hopes to follow the same 'Buddy System' in pursuit of success at the 91st edition of the race.
Rice, who will make his fourth start in the race, was Kenny Brack's substitute with Rahal Letterman Racing when he arrived at the Speedway in 2004. He practiced quietly until Pole Day, when he surprised the field with a pole-winning run. On Race Day, Rice's car was the class of the field and won after a late charge to the front just before a downpour halted the race after 180 of the 200 laps.
"We did it unconventionally," Rice admitted, "No one had us as favourite to sit on the pole, nobody had us as a favourite to win the race. To think it happened and to do it the way we did, I think was great. I think that it's definitely unique, and maybe I'll have another opportunity to have a proper winning victory celebration, but I'm definitely happy with what I have right now."
This season, Rice has moved to another rebuilding team, as Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has fielded cars for five drivers since co-owner Robbie Buhl retired a few weeks before Rice's 2004 win. Rice says the switch is a good move for him, as DRR co-owners Buhl and Dennis Reinbold have stepped up their competitive operational level and he works well with team-mates Sarah Fisher and Roger Yasukawa.
"I'm really happy here," insists the veteran, who missed the chance to defend his race win in 2005 because of injury and crashed out of the 2006 event. "Dennis has taken great strides in getting his team to be a lot more competitive between the engineers, the staff and everybody he's brought in. And it's been extremely exciting, and it's great to take part in that.
"I think I've had more top ten finishes this year [in the first four races leading up to Indy] than the last two years combined. That already shows an improvement for me to get here, and they've really stepped up their deal."
