"He's always giving me advice, and it is kind of different taking it from your dad. Sometimes it's hard when it's your dad telling you what to do. But he obviously knows what he's talking about,'' the younger Rahal said.
Lanky and good-looking, Rahal is following in his famous father's footsteps, or more appropriately, tire tracks. And he's doing it in grand style: The 18-year-old has stepped up to Champ Car, driving for the Newman-Haas-Lanigan team alongside three-time defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais. He already is the youngest Champ Car driver ever to have a podium finish - a second to Bourdais at Houston.
"I think he has more talent, more outright talent, than I do,'' Bobby Rahal said. "If you look at his age, and where he's at, it's been meteoric. Whether he was my son or not, I would say this kid is something special.
'' Rahal honed his skills last season in the Champ Car Atlantic series, where he was runner-up for the championship. He had five wins, four poles and six podium finishes in 12 races. Just 17 at the time, he became the youngest winner in series history.
Rahal began racing karts at the age of 11. He won a scholarship to race with the Formula BMW series in 2004, before moving on to the Star Mazda Series, where he won one race and had six podiums in 12 races. He also won the 2005 SCCA National Formula Atlantic championship.
Rahal does not try to measure himself against his father, who won the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and is a three-time champion in what was then the CART series. "I don't think a lot of people understand that racing is far different from what it used to be,'' the younger Rahal said. The sport has changed so much.
'' But that doesn't mean he doesn't listen when his dad offers words of wisdom. "I think the best advice he's given me - in anything, not just racing - is to have fun,'' he said. "At the end of the day, this is really hard work and if you don't love it you shouldn't be doing it.
'' After the podium in Houston, Rahal has had a couple of learning experiences. He had a tough time at Portland International Raceway, struggling to keep his car on the track and dueling with English driver Dan Clarke. Afterward, Rahal didn't mince words, proving he's no timid rookie.
"The start was difficult for me; I had a bad start anyway. Apart from that the race was going well, but once we caught up to 'stupid Dan,' which is what I'm going to call him from now on, he just drove me off the road and that was that,'' he said. Rahal finished the Grand Prix of Portland in ninth.
Bourdais won it, earning the 100th victory for owners Paul Newman and Carl Haas. Last weekend the series moved to Cleveland, in Rahal's home state. Rahal led for the first time this season, but finished eighth after a fuel miscalculation.
He had to pit with four laps left for just five gallons to make it to the finish. "We would have made it if we had one more caution at the end. I think we had the car to get by Tracy, we were much quicker than he was,'' Rahal said.
Rahal is tied for seventh in the Champ Car points standings with fellow rookie Simon Pagenaud. There are 11 races to go on the 16-race schedule, starting this weekend at Mont-Tremblant. What is stunning is that just a few short weeks ago Rahal graduated from high school in New Albany, Ohio.
He has been accepted to Denison University with deferred enrollment for fall 2008. "What I'm most proud of is his demeanor. He's not cocky.
He's confident, that's for sure. But I can't tell you how many people have said, 'You've got a great kid,''' Bobby Rahal said. "With the name he's got, he could be a brat.
As for being Bobby Rahal's son, Rahal said he doesn't think about it behind the wheel. "I think there's always going to be a little pressure,'' he said. "But the biggest pressure is the pressure I put on myself.
'' "He's always giving me advice, and it is kind of different taking it from your dad.
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