Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice, team members from Rahal Letterman Racing and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and CEO Tony George will visit the White House on Monday, July 19, to meet with United States President George W. Bush.
The Borg-Warner Trophy and the winning No. 15 Rahal Letterman Argent/Pioneer Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone car from this year’s 500-Mile Race also will be on display on the South Lawn of the White House.
Rice, winner of the 88th Indianapolis 500, continues his post-victory media tour, which has kept him busy since the checkered flag fell May 30. Rice also won the last IRL IndyCar(R) Series event, on July 4 at Kansas Speedway.
"It will be a great honor to be at the White House and meet President Bush,” Rice said. “I think it is a huge statement for IndyCar (Series) racing that we’ll have our Indy 500-winning car and the Borg-Warner Trophy at the White House.
“I’m honored that I was American and won the biggest auto race in the world. I’m very excited for this opportunity.”
Rice, from Phoenix, is the first Indianapolis 500 winner to visit the White House following his victory since Rick Mears visited the current President’s father, George H.W. Bush, in 1991. Team co-owner Bobby Rahal, winner of the 1986 Indianapolis 500, has been to the White House in the past but never as an owner of a winning car.
“I was fortunate to go to the White House previously, but this event is such a monumental moment for our Rahal Letterman Racing team,” Rahal said. “I couldn’t be happier for Buddy and the entire Argent Mortgage/Pioneer Honda squad. They enjoyed one of the best months ever at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and to take that car and the team to the White House and meet the President is a great honor.”
Since winning the Indianapolis 500, Rice has been on a whirlwind victory tour that has taken him to the sets of “Late Show with David Letterman” and “LIVE with Regis and Kelly,” the New York Stock Exchange, and numerous media appearances and interviews across the country. The tour will continue through the remainder of the IndyCar Series season, including a stop July 22 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
But Monday’s trip to the White House is a highlight of the season.
“This opportunity to go to the White House and meet the President is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement for our team and Buddy,” said Scott Roembke, Rahal Letterman chief operating officer and general manager. “They had a great month of May, and winning the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was reaching the pinnacle of our sport. It is so exciting for the President and his staff to recognize our accomplishment, and we thank them very much.”
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2005 tickets: The 89th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 29, 2005. To purchase tickets, camping or parking, contact the IMS ticket office at (800) 822-INDY or log on to indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
