Buddy Rice - Bio

Buddy Rice
Winner of the 2004 Indianapolis 500

Career Highlights Started second and finished second in IRL IndyCar Series debut in July 2002 at Michigan. Won 2000 Toyota Atlantic championship with five wins, 10 podiums and two poles. Became first driver in Toyota Atlantic history to start from the pole in first race, in 1998 at Long Beach.
2003 Finished 16th in IRL IndyCar Series point standings after competing in 13 of 16 races for Red Bull Cheever Racing. Scored four top-10 finishes and was running at the finish of 12 races. Started 19th and finished 11th, one lap down, as a rookie at Indianapolis.	Fast Facts Born: Jan. 31, 1976 Hometown: Phoenix Resides: Phoenix Ht./Wt.: 5-8/150 Spouse: Single

2002

Competed in final five races of the IRL IndyCar Series season with Red Bull Cheever Racing.
Started and finished second at Michigan in his first IRL IndyCar Series event, finishing behind rookie teammate Tomas Scheckter. Led 15 laps.
Scored four top-10 finishes and two top-five finishes in five starts.
Led at Michigan and Kentucky for a total of 37 laps.
Announced Nov. 25 that he had signed a multiyear contract to drive for Red Bull Cheever Racing.

2001

Tested with Red Bull Cheever Racing in November at California.

2000

Won Toyota Atlantic championship for DSTP Motorsports, scoring five wins.

1999

Finished fifth in Toyota Atlantic points driving for Lynx Racing.
Received Michael Rosen Memorial Award.

1998

Won from the pole at Nazareth and finished seventh in Toyota Atlantic points driving for Lynx Racing.
Won Gilles Villeneuve Memorial Award.

1997

Drove in U.S. F2000 for Lynx Racing/DSTP Motorsports, finishing fourth in points and winning at Phoenix.
Won 1997 Valvoline Team USA Scholarship, where he represented the United States in Europe’s prestigious Nations Cup.

1996

Drove in one U.S. F2000 event, finishing eighth after starting second in a 6-year-old car.
Also drove in Dodge Shelby Pro Series, winning from the pole at Las Vegas.

Personal

Hobbies include surfing, snowboarding, mountain biking, karting.
Drives a full-size customized Chevrolet truck and has a 1967 Chevy 2 Nova Hot Rod.
First became interested in racing because his father built and drove drag racing cars when Buddy Rice was a child.
Drives a full-size customized Chevrolet truck and has a 1967 Chevy 2 Nova Hot Rod.
Parents, Bud and Nancy, and sister, Alyssa, travel to watch Rice race.

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