Team Rahal looks for success at Laguna Seca.
Team Rahal has won 13 races in the ten seasons of the team's existence winning on ten different CART tracks. The only track where Team Rahal has multiple victories has been Laguna Seca Raceway, the historic 2.238-mile road course in Monterey, California, where three of the team's 13 wins have been compiled. In winning the CART stop in Monterrey three of the last four years, Team Rahal has won with a dominating car and with pit strategy. In 1998 and 1999 Bryan Herta dominated winning from the pole for his first two CART victories.
Team Rahal has won 13 races in the ten seasons of the team's existence winning on ten different CART tracks. The only track where Team Rahal has multiple victories has been Laguna Seca Raceway, the historic 2.238-mile road course in Monterey, California, where three of the team's 13 wins have been compiled. In winning the CART stop in Monterrey three of the last four years, Team Rahal has won with a dominating car and with pit strategy. In 1998 and 1999 Bryan Herta dominated winning from the pole for his first two CART victories. Herta was even dubbed by Rahal "The King of Laguna Seca" for impressive manner of his back-to-back wins.
In 2001 Max Papis pitted five times and ran an alternative fuel strategy en route to winning the timed race. For Papis it was his third career win and second of the 2001 season. It is fitting that Laguna has become Team Rahal's track because during his legendary racing career Laguna Seca was Bobby Rahal's track. Rahal won four straight years at Laguna Seca (1984-87) and compiled 12 top-ten results and seven top-five finishes in 16 starts.
"I have always had a very good performance at Laguna either as a driver or as an owner," said Rahal. "That success wasn't just in CART. I won a Can-Am race at Laguna in 1979 which was my first big racing win in North America. It has been a very good place for us and we always look forward to running at what is truly one of the great track in the United States."
Jimmy Vasser, driver of the Shell car who grew up in nearby Morgan Hill, CA, has also crafted his own legacy of success at Laguna Seca. Vasser won at the famed track in Formula 2000 and twice in Atlantics (1987 & 1991) and in CART in 1997. Vasser has tallied four top-five results in the last six races including a fifth place finish in 2001.
"There is a lot of history at this track and growing up nearby I gained an appreciation for how special this place is, said Vasser. "This is always one of the races I look forward to on the schedule. It is a tough demanding track and it certainly isn't the easiest track to pass on, but you know you have done something special if you are successful here."
Gigante driver and current CART points leader Michel Jourdain Jr. is looking to breakout this weekend at Laguna Seca. In six career starts at Laguna Jourdain has never finished higher than 20th. Jourdain has posted four straight top-five results in 2002 and has taken over the points lead for the first time in his seven year Champ Car career.
