Season Recap 2001

2001

Drivers: Max Papis, Kenny Brack

Car #: 7, 8

Sponsors: Miller Lite, Shell

Championship Finish: 6^th, 2^nd

The 2001 CART/Indy Car campaign was the finest for Team Rahal since its titlewinning debut in 1992, as Kenny Brack and Max Papis combined to win six races, lead 843 laps and finish second and sixth respectively in the final season standings. The wins and laps led were the most of any team in the series in 2001, and Brack led the loop in wins (4), poles (6) and laps led (621). Brack led the championship for more than half the year, pacing the series from rounds 5 to 13 and again after rounds 16 and 17 before succumbing to Gil de Ferran. Brack led at least 54 laps in seven of his eight oval starts including race-highs at Nazareth, Milwaukee and Lausitz. Won at Motegi, Chicago, Lausitz and Milwaukee while Papis took victories at Portland and Laguna Seca. Papis was masterful in the rain at Portland, winning from pole while leading 69 of 76 laps. He came from 25^th on the grid at Laguna to win, pacing the last 15 laps of the race. Papis put together five consecutive top-10 finishes near the end of the season to aid his charge into sixth in the final standings.