IndyCar legend Bobby Rahal reveals turning tables on Roger Penske after unexpected debut

IndyCar champion Bobby Rahal began his IndyCar career with Truesports Co., the team with which he won his first two championships. However, Rahal recently came out and revealed how he got an offer from Roger Penske after his rookie season, but turned the tables on the Team Penske owner.

Bobby Rahal raced in the European F2 championship in 1979 after participating in the SCCA National championship in the mid-70s. Rahal, who recently featured on the Throttle Therapy podcast, revealed how he wanted to come back and race in the American open-wheel racing series after a year in the European F2.

Rahal detailed how he wrote letters to Roger Penske and Pat Patrick after returning from Europe, as he said,

“I remember sending letters to Pat Patrick, who had one of the top teams at the time, and Roger Penske. And it was, don't call us, we'll call you.” (24:00 onwards)

Bobby Rahal then revealed how Jim Trueman approached him in 1981 with the ambition of starting an IndyCar team and having Rahal drive the car. Truesports Co. was founded and made its IndyCar debut in 1982 with Rahal behind the wheel, winning a couple of races and finishing the season as the runner-up.

The 72-year-old then detailed how Roger Penske offered him a seat after the successful debut season, but faced rejection as Rahal continued with Jim Trueman’s team.

“We won at Cleveland and won at Michigan on the Oval. And so all of a sudden then, now the Pat Patricks and the Roger Penske's are knocking on my door, right? But as I said, Jim Truman brought me to the dance, so I was gonna go home with him. And we had a great period of time until he regrettably passed away right after we won Indy in 86,” said Bobby Rahal.

Bobby Rahal recalls his “depressing” visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Indy 500 orientation

Bobby Rahal made his Indy 500 debut the same year as his IndyCar debut, and had no prior experience racing around the iconic oval. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing owner detailed his experience from visiting the IMS for the rookie orientation on the Throttle Therapy podcast, as he said,

“Indy was the first time I went there. You've been there and you know, I mean, I went there for the first year of rookie orientation, and it was, I think, early April or something and went there and it was like 35 degrees, 38 degrees. It was gray, it was miserable weather, Indiana weather, you know, just cold, windy.” “And you know, the speedway, all the grandstands are painted Battleship Gray. So yeah, it was gray sky, gray grandstands, gray. I mean, it was just depressing,” added Rahal

Jim Trueman was diagnosed with cancer in 1985. Rahal won the 1986 Indy 500, and a few days after the triumph, Trueman passed away. Bobby Rahal left Truesports at the end of the 1988 season and founded his own team with Carl Hogan in late 1991 as they took over Patrick Racing.

Edited by Pranay Bhagi