Re: Semi-OT: Cheesecake & Skoal

And this from USA Today, today:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/sports/20060712/c2_irl_12.art.htm

Rahal Letterman Racing team struggling through season
By A.J. Perez
USA TODAY

Rahal Letterman Racing's turbulent season apparently has its hottest
commodity (reigning IRL IndyCar rookie of the year Danica Patrick)
exploring her opportunities elsewhere and has left its 2004 Indy 500
winner (Buddy Rice) frustrated.

Going 83 combined starts and nearly two years without a victory can do
that to a team that's used to winning consistently.

"I don't understand what's going on," Patrick said. "I don't know
what the other guys are doing that we're not."

RLR swapped chassis midseason, bringing the three-car team in line with
the rest of the series. RLR was the last team to use the Panoz chassis
on oval tracks, a car that typically was outpaced by the
league-standard Dallara.

"I think we've moving in the right direction," Rice said. "The
engineers and I have had to do a lot of work, but Rome wasn't built in
a day. This is going to take some time."

The midseason changeover has resulted in one top-10 - rookie Jeff
Simmons' 10th-place finish at Kansas Speedway on July 2 - in the
three races since the switch.

Said Rice, "It will be just a matter of time before we get back into
the winner's circle."

RLR might need a map. The team's last victory was Rice's at Michigan
International Speedway in August 2004. RLR's best finish this year was
fourth by Rice at Watkins Glen International last month, and the team
hasn't had a top-three finish since former driver Vitor Meira took
third at California Speedway in October.

A chassis change seems like a minor inconvenience compared with other
adversity the team has endured. RLR driver Paul Dana was killed before
the season-opening race during practice, and the team plodded along
most of the season without COO Scott Roembke, who has been ill. Team
co-owner Bobby Rahal has seen more limited time with the team as he
follows the career of his son, Graham, who races on the Champ Car
Atlantic circuit.

"He's a proud father, and his son is doing really well. I respect
that," Patrick said. "Unfortunately, the team needs a leader, and
we need the team to stay upbeat. Us drivers are doing the best we can,
and the guys (in the shop) are working hard day in, day out."

Rahal was out of the country and unavailable for comment, a team
spokesman said.>>

Maybe...hoping they can get it all together!

.