PRINTERS' PASTIMES -- Outside the Lines

By 1997 he had saved enough for his first car—a Spec Racer Ford. He used it to race in the Sports Car Club of America club series. His first season he finished ninth in points out of 29 drivers in the Southwest division, with two third places and a pole.

"The next year I moved to Formula Mazda and was fourth in points and the highest rated rookie until funds started running low," Khoury reveals. "Some of the people that I met through my short time as a driver were trying to get an Indy deal going and needed some help. After all of the driver shuffling, I ended up as a tire changer in 2000 for Davey Hamilton for the whole racing season."