Auto Racing Notes : Bobby Rahal Joins Millionaire Class

Stopping at the pits:

Indy car driver Bobby Rahal is not only fast on the track, he’s a record-breaker in hustling to the bank with his auto racing winnings. It took Rahal only 39 CART races to earn his first million dollars, breaking the former mark of 58 set by Rick Mears. Three other drivers joined the exclusive millionaire list during 1984--Danny Ongais, Geoff Brabham and Al Holbert.

Watch for Al Unser Jr. to break Rahal’s standard in 1985. The 22-year-old son of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Sr. has earnings of $912,670 for 30 career starts. He won his first CART race at Portland, Ore., last year. This year’s Indianapolis 500 carries a $3 million purse and a high finish could move young Al into the millionaire bracket.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty is the world’s leader with $5,605,303 in stock car winnings. A.J. Foyt tops Indy car drivers with $4,273,828, fifth best among all millionaire drivers.

The annual 24-Hours of Daytona grind, Feb. 2-3, is most spectacular at nightfall, says driver Doc Bundy: “You can see the brake rotors glowing in the wheels, they’re so hot, and braking for turn one, the flames off the turbos are pretty exciting.”

John Bishop, president of the sponsoring International Motor Sports Assn., describes his impression of the event: “I like to watch the pre-race activities and the start from the grandstand. Light-up time is fascinating and, by then, the race has formed a pattern. Usually, I’ll leave about 7 o’clock for a relaxed dinner and return for more night action. By midnight, I’m usually ready to turn in because I want to get back to the track at dawn -- to see who’s survived the night.”

Team owner Carl Haas may have quite a driving combination in 1985. In addition to Mario Andretti handling the Indy car circuit, Haas is trying to lure former Formula One champion Alan Jones of Australia out of retirement for the upcoming Grand Prix season. Haas’ total outlay for 1985 racing is reported to be $80 million. He hired engineer-designer Neil Oatley away from the Williams team for Formula One action.

The legend lives on. Juan Manuel Fangio II, nephew of his namesake who was a five-time Formula One champion, is a late addition to the Mazda InterAmerican Challenge race, Feb. 23, at Miami, that attracted a field of 20 Western Hemisphere champions. The younger Fangio is considered one of the top three drivers in his native Argentina. Lineup for the 30-minute race over a demanding downtown Miami street course also includes 1983 Can-Am champion Jacques Villeneuve of Canada and two-time Formula One king Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil. Fittipaldi made his racing comeback in Indy cars last year.

The second running of North America’s most gruelling endurance race, the Cannonball One Lap of America, begins March 1 and is scheduled to cover a 168-hour, 8,700 mile trip around the USA -- beginning and ending in Darien, Conn. The race is the brainchild of auto racing color commentator Brock Yates. Proceeds of the race is earmarked for the Ellis-Island-Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund.