Buddy Rice's name doesn't exactly top the list of favorites at the Indianapolis 500, but he's determined to swig from the milk bottle in Victory Circle.
"It's funny how many people say we're underneath the radar," said Rice, who will start from the pole on Sunday. "But if you actually watch any of our times and watch what we did, we were in contention for the front row from the start of the month.
"We're definitely contenders in the race."
That sure wasn't the case last year, when he finished in the top 10 only four times in 13 starts and never higher than ninth. Three races from the end of the season, Rice lost his ride with Red Bull Cheever Racing.
"It never clicked," team owner Eddie Cheever Jr. said.
Cheever, who also had a contentious parting of ways in 2002 with Tomas Scheckter, another young speedster, acknowledged he can be a tough taskmaster.
"I've been with teams in Formula One, CART and the IRL and it's tough to pull anything on me," Cheever said. "I tend to be blunt."
In December, Bobby Rahal came calling, seeking a temporary replacement for injured Kenny Brack, and gave Rice a chance to drive.
Now, Rice has a new look -- his spiky hair and soul patch that drew so much criticism last season are gone -- and heading into Sunday's race had finishes of seventh, ninth and sixth for Rahal Letterman Racing. He was also tied with Tora Takagi for seventh in the IRL season points.
"I don't really know what his baggage was," Rahal said. "Last year, a lot of people criticized him for his look. But that was what his sponsors wanted him to do. The first thing we told him was he had to turn his hat around, and he didn't argue for a second.
"I never doubted his pace," Rahal added. "I think the issue was just his persona, and I think his persona is perfect. He's not a big talker. He's not a showboater. He just gets out there and works hard and he's a good racer."
Rice had served an apprenticeship with Rahal in 2001, although he didn't race for the 1985 Indy winner.
"He just came to the races and was around in case we needed him," Rahal said. "I just looked at it as an investment for us, that if we ever did get together, he'd know how we did things and it would pay off."
Before the race last month in Japan, Rahal let Rice know he had a ride for the rest of the year, no matter when Brack returns.
"Any race driver, if you're in the right situation you can really blossom," Rahal said. "We thought that Buddy just needed a chance in a team that was going to help him every step of the way and not get in his way."
Now Rice is on the pole for the Indy 500. Don't bet against him on race day.
"If a win happens here for me, it won't be a life-altering experience. I'll go with it, if it comes," he said. "But this place would sure be a great one to put under my belt."
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