Graham Rahal to NASCAR

UPDATE Graham Rahal figures by the time the IZOD IndyCar Series begins March 14 in Brazil, he will have essentially earned an advanced degree in marketing and promotion. What the 21-year-old really wants, however, is a job behind the wheel of a race car — preferably a car without fenders. "I know there have been a lot of NASCAR rumors, but right now my focus is 100 percent on being in the IndyCar Series,'' Rahal told FanHouse this weekend. "I'm not just an IndyCar driver, but very much a fan of the sport and to make a big switch like that takes time to consider. As of this second, everything I have going is for IndyCar.'' So instead of joining Danica Patrick in the stock car ranks — even as a part-time gig — Rahal has been visiting America's corporate boardrooms hoping to attract financial backing for the 2010 IndyCar season. The timing, however, couldn't be worse. Motorsports FanHouse

02/26/10 Ed Note: This story is disgusting. For the record, McDonald's withdrew sponsorship because Paul Newman's passing meant he was not part of the team anymore, and the McD's sponsorship was born out of that relationship. But Graham is a legacy name and has the talent to match and should be as much an IRL commodity as Danica Patrick. Really he should be more of a commodity. Somehow, some way, this sport needs to become more about the drivers and their talents than simply a playground for heavy checkbooks. If they want to go out and play, then they shouldn't be surprised when nobody wants to watch. Polo is an amazing sport too, but I don't see it filling up the SuperDome with fans…

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal said the chances of participating in the IndyCar season opener next month in Sao Paulo, Brazil are "zero," leading him to meet next week with NASCAR officials to see if there's something available for him in stock car racing. "Every minute going by and by seems to cause more of a concern," Rahal said Tuesday from his home outside Columbus, Ohio. "I should be there" [testing IndyCar at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama]. Rahal, 21, son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, joined the free agent market late in the offseason after parting with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing when McDonald's withdrew its sponsorship to focus on the Olympics.(Indianapolis Star)