In the spring of 1984, the headquarters of a professional car racing team suddenly sprouted up directly off I-270 in Hilliard on Columbus’ west side. A clear and visible location for all to see. It made you do a double take. A racing team? In Columbus, Ohio?
Unbeknownst to most at the time, something special was brewing. Most of the twenty five technicians and staff who worked there came from somewhere else. Columbus was their new, if only brief, adopted city thanks to owner Jim Trueman.
Trueman owned Red Roof Inn whose headquarters were directly across the freeway. He had put together a ‘Dream Team’ for his racing itch led by hot, young driver Bobby Rahal. Rahal and his bride Debi moved from Chicago to Dublin in November 1981.
Trueman then had his sights set on a captain. He caught wind of Steve Horne not wanting to continue with VDS that same year because they were moving operations to Midland, Texas and he didn’t want to go. Horne and the VDS team with Geoff Brabham driving earlier that year, had captured the CanAm championship.
After initially turning Trueman down to switch to CART Indy racing, Horne agreed to terms with Truesports. He knew Bobby was pretty good and he felt Trueman was committed to winning.
And Trueman was. Red Roof Inn was the primary sponsor of the third place finisher in the 1981 Indianapolis 500. Because of that, Jim figured he could build his own race team.
He was a full-fledged racing enthusiast. That same year he had purchased the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course just sixty miles north of Columbus and quickly made improvements, welcoming the CART Indy racing series back in 1983.
Truesports also brought Bobby’s favorite mechanic Jim Prescott on board who Horne would call an ‘absolute diamond in the rough.” Prescott worked as a mechanic when Bobby drove CanAm cars back in 1979 but was bricklaying when Bobby called him just before Christmas in 1981 and convinced him to move to Columbus and join Truesports.
Optimism was growing that they could challenge Team Penske for the PPG Cup title. The dream team was coming together.
Bobby won CART’s rookie of the year honors in 1982. With his hefty prize money earnings, Bobby and Debi bought their first home.
While 1983 proved to be a disappointing year, 1984 brought the final piece to the puzzle – Adrian Newey. Newey was their March factory engineer liaison and was fresh out of college. He also was brilliant. He arrived in Columbus in February 1984 and immediately observed the Rahal car to be both oversized and overweight.
Then, really bad news. Team owner Jim Trueman was diagnosed with colon cancer. He began treatments and the team rallied behind him.
In 1985, Budweiser came on board as the primary sponsor. Bobby finished third in the 1985 season cup championship but Adrian Newey, now their chief engineer and a hot commodity, announced he was leaving.
Then, in a flash, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 arrived. Heavy rain pushed the race back six days to May 31. Jim Trueman was emaciated and weak but still strong enough to get to the track.
Bobby Rahal qualified on the inside of the second row. He would run the entire race with the leaders Rick Mears and Michael Andretti. Rahal, in fact, led for almost fifty laps. ABC televised the race ‘flag to flag’ live for the first time.
With 400,000 race fans on hand and thirteen laps to go, Kevin Cogan ratcheted up the drama by taking the lead. Then an Arie Luyendyk crash brought out the caution flag. Finally, with just two laps to go, the green flag. Rahal raced to the first turn and grabbed the lead, all the while his fuel light was blinking. The car was running on fumes. He remembers screaming “don’t leave me now baby!”
It was meant to be. Rahal took the checkered flag, winning by a couple of car lengths. So concerned about running out of fuel, he later would not actually recall crossing the finish line. Rahal became the first Indy driver in history to complete the five hundred miles in under three hours.
After the race Bobby, of course, drank the traditional milk in victory lane. He then got to take a victory lap with his wife Debi and his very sick partner Jim.
Just eleven days later, Jim Trueman passed away. He was 51.
Bobby was awarded the 1986 PPG Cup series championship ending the year with almost $1.5 million in prize money.
In 1988, after seven seasons together, Rahal decided to leave Truesports. He and Horne together had won eighteen races and two season championships. And, of course, the BIG one.
Rahal’s adopted hometown was heartbroken. Bobby’s talent and class and success had endeared him to the Columbus community. Race day would never be the same again.
Rahal retired from racing in 1998. In 2004, he partnered with late night TV host David Letterman and businessman Michael Lanigan as owners of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Together, they won the Indy 500 in 2004 and 2020.
“As we all know, motorsports is a metaphor for life: great success only comes from fanatical attention to detail, split-second timing, and the perfect coordination of movement and music,” wrote David Letterman after Bobby retired in 1999. “Or is that synchronized swimming?”
Sources: Bobby Rahal – the graceful champion by Gordon Kirby, 1999; Columbus CEO, July 1996; Rahal surge at end wins Indy 500 by Tim May, June 1, 1986; Columbus Monthly, June 2005; www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com; https://careers.bobbyrahal.com; James R Trueman, Case Western Reserve University, https://case.edu; Bobby Rahal, https://rahal.com; Featured picture is courtesy of IMS Photos.