Last Ride?:
by Tim May.
Racer's 1998 Official FedEx Championship Series Guide.

Bobby Rahal hasn't smoked in a decade. His trademark glasses are gone; thanks to laser surgery, he can see better now
than ever before. Yes, there is some graying in what he has left of his hair, but nothing a little colouring rinse couldn't hide for a few more years. He might have just turned 45 but, as his wife, Debi, says: "He's in the best physical condition he's ever been in. He's in unbelievable condition".

So what's the rush? Why, since he clearly has his personal act together; since his team seems set to emerge from the dark side of a five-year win eclipse; since his team is on sound financial footing thanks to a long-term sponsorship with Miller Brewing and Shell, why is Bobby Rahal calling it quits? Why, for heaven's sake, is the 1998 FedEx Championship Series going to be 'Rahal's Last Ride'? "I think you could probably sit there and ask, 'Is there ever a good time (to retire)?' I don't know", says Rahal, who has been driving Championship Cars since 1982. "But I want to leave on a high note. I want to leave as a winner. I knew I could dedicate 100 percent of myself for one more year to achieve that".

Much has changed since Rahal first won his first CART race during his rookie season. Funny thing was, back then, he openly spoke of possibly retiring by 35, and then by 40. It seemed he didn't want to push his luck into the 40s and beyond, like he'd seen the heroes of his day do. He did not want to leave the track with his skills on the wane, obvious to everyone. But when he hit 40 in '93, he was coming off his third PPG Cup championship. More than that, he was in just his second year as a team owner. He was doing anything but slowing down.

Then came a snowball of events that did it for him. They've been well documented: The inherited Truesports chassis was a disaster in '93; then came the dreadful debut season for Honda followed by two years behind the power curve with Mercedes-Ilmor engines. Finally, last season, he remained on Goodyear tires when it was obvious that Firestone had a better grip on the series. This year he and teammate Bryan Herta are on Firestones. They have Ford power for a second straight year and Reynard chassis. There are no excuses, which is just what Rahal wants - an opportunity to add to his tally of 24 Champ Car wins. He showed he could still run with the young kids of the sport last year, even if he was the oldest man in the series. This year, he wants to beat those guys a few times.

So, he's primed for his final season He's also sticking to his declaration that this will be his last ride. Because, like he did with cigarettes, he plans to quit driving cold turkey. No dips into endurance races or the like. He knows he'll miss it for a while, but it's time to move on. "I don't go away with a heavy heart, I don't go away reminiscing", Rahal says. "I've just painted a different picture. I'm just thrilled with what I've done, and I want to get on with life".

--End of Article--

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