Rahal, the 19-year-old son of three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner, isn't comfortable being known as just an open-wheel driver. Broadly, he is a race car driver, and that's how he wants history to eventually judge him.

"Like my dad or A.J. Foyt or Mario Andretti, some of the Unsers or Dan Gurney," he said. "Those guys drove everything there was, everything they could. "I always say the difference between a good driver and a great driver is that a great driver can drive anything."

In addition to finishing fifth as a rookie in the Champ Car series, his 2007 season included a test in a powerful Saleen S7 supercar in Barcelona, Spain; a demonstration in a Formula One machine in Las Vegas; and races in both of the top U.S. sports car series, American Le Mans and Grand Am. When time permits, he said he would love to try a NASCAR race.

"Heck, even doing the (Indy) 500. It only adds credibility to your name," Rahal said. "I'd love to be the one guy who can win Indy, Le Mans, Sebring, Daytona, anything."

"I think it really did show the true talent of a driver," Bobby said of Gurney's versatility. "Mario (Andretti) did the same kind of things. He drove whatever he could."