🇺🇸 Buddy Rice

Buddy Rice is a retired professional racing driver who competed primarily in IndyCar as an oval specialist for Rahal Letterman Racing. Graded FIA Gold, the top tier of the endurance and sportscar categories, Rice raced across a ten-season career spanning 2002 to 2017. He is best known for winning the 2004 Indianapolis 500.[1]

Rice spent the bulk of his career in IndyCar, with 102 starts between 2002 and 2011, predominantly on oval circuits; 88 of his 102 starts came on ovals, where he recorded all three of his IndyCar wins and seven of his eight podiums. His record against the field was mixed. He regularly finished behind established professionals including Dario Franchitti, a four-time IndyCar champion, and Helio Castroneves, later a Platinum-graded driver and 2020 IMSA WeatherTech champion. He also finished behind Dan Wheldon, the 2005 IndyCar champion, more often than ahead. He beat Pato O'Ward, then a rising professional who would become the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech PC champion, on one occasion. Late in his career Rice moved to IMSA WeatherTech sportscar racing in 2017, competing in the PC class for BAR1 Motorsports; he took five podiums across six starts in the multiclass endurance series, where he shared the Oreca FLM09 prototype with co-drivers. He also contested the SKUSA SuperNationals in three appearances between 2007 and 2009, racing in its karting classes.[2]