Rahal team breaks silence.

Rahal-Letterman Racing teammates Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick have spoken in public for the first time since the death of their teammate Paul Dana last weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway and have confirmed that they will race in this weekend's Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg.

On a day when a memorial fund to aid renewable energies was set up in Dana's name, the shell-shocked Rahal team were able to confirm that while Dana's #17 entry had been withdrawn as a mark of respect to his family, Rice and Patrick would both compete.

"It is never easy when someone is lost in the racing community, especially when it is someone on your team," said Rice. "My thoughts are with the Dana family. Everybody reacts to situations differently. It is very difficult for a close-knit group like the IndyCar Series.

"I got to know Paul through our testing and he was a good guy. He did a great job in developing the Team Ethanol programme. He was learning about our cars and team."

"Our team will work through this loss and move on. We still have a job to do and we will race this weekend in St. Petersburg. The Indy Racing League is a leader in safety and they continue to learn with each accident. I'm sure we will learn from Paul's crash on Sunday."

Like Rice, Patrick was forced to do much soul searching in the immediate aftermath of Dana's crash but also agreed that the Rahal team, the IRL and motorsport would move on, as it does whenever a driver is killed.

"On Sunday, I saw Ed (Carpenter) spin in turn two and I dove my car to the inside and gassed it to get by," said Patrick, who was due to start third before the team withdrew their cars from the Homestead race as a mark of respect. "When I came by again on the yellow flag, I knew it didn't look good. I didn't know it was Paul's car until the team told me.

"There are a lot of elements that came into my feelings about Paul's death. I feel for his family. We as drivers do this (racing) and our family have to watch. I felt bad for my family after Paul's accident because they see what can happen out there. I believe Paul is in a better place.

"But this is a tragedy. We have the greatest safety equipment in the world and still this sport is can be dangerous. We know that. We reflected on that with my family on Sunday. I have a great support group with my family.

"We had a meeting with our Rahal Letterman Racing team yesterday to talk about Paul and his accident. It is sad when tragedy has to bring people close together. But I think we gained something positive from that meeting. Now we must move on and go to St. Petersburg this weekend."

A memorial service - "celebrating the life of Paul Dana" -- for the racing community will be held this Thursday (March 30) at 5:15 p.m. in Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida (400 1st St. S., inside the race course of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg). IRL "hard card" holders will be admitted to the service.

The Dana family has asked that all donations be sent to the Paul Dana Memorial Fund For Renewable Energy, c/o National Bank of Indianapolis, 107 N. Pennsylvania St., Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN, 46204.