We were somewhat surprised, though not shocked, when Rahal-Letterman decided to pull Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick out of the race at Homestead last weekend after the death of their teammate. Their words were fairly boilerplate, but they did make one point that we thought was worth noting — in defending Dana's right to be on the track.
Put it this way, Rahal-Letterman's the most high-profile team in the IRL right now, thanks to Dave Letterman's involvement, Rice's win at Indy two years ago and Patrick's high finish a year ago. A lot of drivers would forgo their manly equipment for a place on the team. So if Rahal decided Dana was good enough, he probably was. It's just a shame his career ended before it really had a chance to start.
Rice, Patrick Speak Out on Dana [Speed]
Related:
Soldier's Requiem: AutoWeek Remembers Paul Dana [Internal]