[MotorSports News]

Bobby Rahal's passion for IndyCar racing hasn't waned over the past 12 months. On the contrary, attending IndyCar Series races this season was mentally challenging (unrelated to son Graham's results in the No. 02 McDonald's car for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing).
Bottom line: Sponsorship that fell through late in the game kept Rahal Letterman Racing off the grid full time in 2009, though the team principal and longtime cohorts long to return to the action.
"We're working hard to put cars on the circuit next year," said Rahal, who won the Indianapolis 500 as a driver (1986) and car co-owner (2004) among an arm's-length list of accomplishments. "It's always a little difficult to be on an IRL weekend and not have a team there. It's a change for us. Having said that, I want to make sure when we do come back it's properly funded because we've done it the other way and it's A. no fun and B. you can't put your best foot forward.
"And as I said, there's nothing more competitive than this series so why wouldn't you want to be a part of that? It wasn't our choice not to be in it this year, but unfortunately the events conspired against us and it's just a matter of 'OK, how do we get back?' ''
This year, the team competed in the Indianapolis 500 with driver Oriol Servia. Its last IndyCar Series victory came at Watkins Glen International in 2008 with Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Meanwhile, the part-time participant in historic car races and partner in Historic Motorsports Productions will showcase vintage cars on the Watkins Glen International in June. Billed as Bobby Rahal's Legends of Motorsports, HMP will invite a full complement of vintage racing cars and teams to natural-terrain road course.
Among the classes expected to participate are GTP/Group C; 3.0 Liter era Formula One; 2.0 Liter Sports Racers; Trans-Am; Can-Am; NASCAR; IMSA GT/Production Cars; BOSS Cars; and F5000.
"As a racer, any outing at The Glen is special because of the venue itself and its unique history in hosting legendary teams, drivers and cars," said Rahal, who added that additional events at other road courses will be announced in the future. "It's a privilege to have Watkins Glen International become the first premium venue to commit to an HMP event."
The IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights compete at The Glen over the Fourth of July weekend. Tickets go on sale to the general public (non-renewal customers) Nov. 14.φRenewals are available through Oct. 23. For more information, contact the ticket office at 866-461-RACE (7223) or log on to www.TheGlen.com.
Also looking at return to IndyCars
New Lotus CEO Dany Bahar told employees this week that the company is investigating a return to IndyCars.
Bahar plans to use motorsports as a platform for showcasing Lotus's road cars, and will apply knowledge gained while racing to road car development.
"I believe that (motorsports) is the perfect platform to showcase our capabilities; racing is part of our heritage and even today the technology in our road cars is derived from racing," said Bahar, who has previously worked for the Ferrari and Red Bull Formula One teams.
Speaking of tickets
Kansas Speedway (click here) and Chicagoland Speedway (click here) for 2010 are offering individual race weekend tickets to their IndyCar Series races along withφseason ticket packages.φ
Individual race weekend tickets are on sale for IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights event weekends at Barber Motorsports Park (click here), Long Beach (click here) and Indianapolis (click here).φ
The road to Indy
Michigan State University men's basketball coach Tom Izzo drove into the Breslin Center last weekend in a green Indy car to kick off the defending national champion's pre-season practices.
"Now that I know what it's like to drive an Indy car, I just hope I know what it's like to play again in Indianapolis," Izzo told the raucous crowd.
The Final Four is in Indianapolis in April.
Of note
Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe was the top vote-getter in the Firestone Tire-ific fan poll for using the high line to perfection in passing for the lead on Lap 63 in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. φ… Multiple Firestone Indy Lights teams are scheduled to test at Barber Motorsports Park on Nov. 9. The road course has been added to the 2010 schedule for both series. … IndyCar Series aerodynamic optionsφfor ovals adopted in Augustφwill carry over to the 2010 season. … iRacing.com, the popular motorsports simulation service that features the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has lowered its subscription and content prices by 37 percent. Coming soon to the service is the IndyCar Series. Go to www.iRacing.com for details. ... The 2010 "Up Close and Personal" calendar, featuring a different Indy Racing League driver every month, is available to order. Proceeds benefit the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. To order, send an e-mail to davidw@umponline.com.


10/20 :: In the notebook