Filed under: Motorsports
Jason Priestley builds IRL team with plans for Indy 500 run
Jason Priestley, best known for his deft portrayal of Brandon Walsh on "Beverly Hills, 90210", has entered into a partnership with Jim Freudenberg, the former general manager of Kelley Racing, to start a new IRL team called Rubicon Race Team. So far, the team has only one race in which it plans to compete: the Indianapolis 500. Priestley is known as an avid racer, though he hasn't been behind the wheel much since he hit the wall at Kentucky Speedway going 180 mph in August of 2002. He broke his back and both his feet, but not his fondness for speed. The Rubicon Race Team advisory board also includes two pro football players: Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark and Carolina Panthers punter Jason Baker. Plans are to seat a high-profile veteran driver in Rubicon's open-wheel Indy car for the big race at the Brickyard in May, though no one's been signed yet.
We don't know what Priestley's been up to since his days in California's most famous zip code, but are astonished at how long the 90210 money has lasted him. He's done other acting work since his stint on the show, including a new series called "Side Order of Life" that debuted on the Lifetime network last July, but nothing that's come close to garnering the attention or compensation of his glory days standing next to Luke Perry.
[Source: AP, Photo by David Livingston/Getty]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
EnviroBob 1:12PM (2/01/2008)
He was actually a pretty good Indy Lights driver.
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MJK 2:09PM (2/01/2008)
So I'm thinking of a different Jason Priestley that just about killed himself in a crash a couple of years back?
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lmao 3:55PM (2/01/2008)
NO
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Kris 4:01PM (2/01/2008)
He used to host the show Rides on Discover or TLC for the first season or two. You could tell he loved the cars, but he's definitely not the best guy for voiceovers. When Chris Jacobs took over, it seemed like every other episode was about Chip Foose.
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open wheel chick 4:38PM (2/01/2008)
Hmmm.... Am curious to see who the "high-profile" driver will be. Perhaps Tomas Scheckter? I think he lost his ride within the IRL. There's also been plenty of "who's-staying-who's-leaving" drama within the ranks of Andretti-Green Racing, so maybe Wanica Patrick could take her ego to another team by 2009? Gotta love the suspense! Haha.
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conrad labutiay 4:50PM (2/01/2008)
He doesn't seem like the redneck car racing trailer trash type.
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Tom Winch 5:16PM (2/01/2008)
O.K., I'll take the bait. That's an ignorant statement. Even if you're one of those "I hate NASCAR & their fans are rednecks" people, it's still an ignorant statement because Priestly's starting an IRL (as in Indy Racing League) team. It takes a lot of money to race professionally at that level. Corporate sponsorship makes it possible. I don't know of any major corporations banking their success on a "redneck" image. Trailer trash need not apply.
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open wheel chick 5:22PM (2/01/2008)
Conrad... Dude! Get it together-- this is about the IRL, NOT Trashcar (aka NASCAR).
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Dave 6:22PM (2/01/2008)
"He broke his back and both his feet, but not his fondness for speed. going 180"
Where do I sign up?
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Neckcarfan 6:30PM (2/01/2008)
Maybe Jason can turn off the lights when IRL folds in the very very near future
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Megan 7:16PM (2/01/2008)
Champ is folding they cancelled 3 races last year their 2nd in command quit to work for the IRL and haas their biggest team is leaving in 09! So Indycar will survive you must be confused.
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Megan 7:17PM (2/01/2008)
He's not driving he's funding a team big difference. Indycar drivers are far from Rednecks you're thinking Nascar.
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Tom 7:18PM (2/01/2008)
Should start a NHRA team. Any other type of racing is for whimps
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Michael White 7:22PM (2/01/2008)
I can't really think of any pithy remarks to make. Other than I'M glad Jason isn't thinking he can handle the wheel himself. Hire Sarah Fisher, with better equipment she could run right up at the top.
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gshoreman4sure@aol.com 7:25PM (2/01/2008)
Smart move you only need to Win the INDY 500 one time to be famous and become a household name in Racing
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Mike 7:28PM (2/01/2008)
IRL is the development league for NASCAR now anyway.
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BLS 8:03PM (2/01/2008)
Give the job to ROBBY GORDON
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Giulio 9:18PM (2/01/2008)
I like White's idea of him offering Sarha Fisher a drive for his team. Open wheel racing needs more American drivers or attendance and TV ratings will continue to drop. I like Fishers style of burning off laps till the real racing starts with 50 laps to go (she seems to get faster at the end of a race ....if she is still in it)
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catgirlshyla 11:43PM (2/01/2008)
So long as he doesn't talk, it's all good.....
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Dan Isaacs 6:50PM (2/02/2008)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_Actors_Guild#Residuals
His 90210 Money will keep on a coming so long as the show remains in syndication.
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