Drag Illustrated Issue 114, October 2016 | Page 96

BOB RAHAIM

those aforementioned morals that have served
as the foundation for his team.
“I think you’re only as good as your word,” Rahaim said. “As long as you’re honest with somebody and do what
you’re say you’re
going to do, I
think that’s the
basis of what everybody has got
going here and
it’s just a pleasure
to be involved
with people of
this caliber. 
“I kind of view
myself as the
manager of the
team. You just
have to be supportive and still
kind of see things
they might need. These guys have all been really,
really good as far as communicating as what we
don’t need and what we do need. They’re real
innovators, with the stuff Chris has on our car
with the shocks and the struts, and the same with
Brandon and the guys over at Reher Morrison.”

The relationship was formed and it didn’t take
Rahaim long to be all-in. By the time Bell, who
shares the same even-keeled demeanor as Rahaim, was named crew chief, Rahaim was ready
for the next step
of his career. He
advanced to the
final round of the
ADRL World Finals in Houston
and then went
directly to his first
NHRA race at the
Pro Mod finale in
Las Vegas.
Rahaim’s first
pass at the event
was the first actual quarter-mile
pass he ever made
in a Pro Mod car,
an obvious sign of
the immediate trust he had in guys like Bell and
Switzer. They proved themselves quickly, Rahaim
felt comfortable and he was instantly hooked by
the time he finished that first run in 6.113-seconds
at 234.61 mph, qualifying him for eliminations.
“I really just loved it to death,” Rahaim said.

“I THINK WHAT’S
EQUALLY IMPORTANT
- AND SOMETHING I
KEEP FALLING BACK
ON - IS THE PEOPLE.”

96 | D r a g

I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com

“You’re a little bit awed by it because of where
you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing.
But we did manage to qualify and that was really
how we got started over there.”
Taking several massive steps forward at the tail
end of 2013 meant taking a couple minor steps
back to start the following season. Rahaim had
not earned enough grade points to compete in
all the NHRA Pro Mod events, which were now
busting at the seams with interested participants.
Being the ever-opportunistic man that he is, Rahaim simply took matters into his own hands.
“That’s when we had to get real creative,” Rahaim said. 
He raced in Competition Eliminator at a handful of NHRA Divisional races and also raced at
some NMCA races, where NHRA was still giving
grade points. By the time the midway point rolled
around at Norwalk, Rahaim was a full-time racer
on the NHRA Pro Mod circuit, competing against
a talent-loaded field where 30-plus standouts is
now the norm.
It’s been a fortuitous stretch for Rahaim, but
he doesn’t chalk it up to chance, not in the slightest. From working with Switzer, Bell and Reher-Morrison, to the Jerry Bickel car – though far
different from the one he bought from Bickel 25
years ago – to his current place in the NHRA Pro

Issue 114

PHOTO: IAN TOCHER

BENCH RACING
Rahaim chats with NHRA Pro Mod
competitor Mike Castellana (left) at an
NHRA Pro Mod event in 2016. Though
it has become one of the most
competitive classes in the NHRA, with
fields consistently drawing better than
30 cars at each event, Rahaim has
long admired the camaraderie of the
participants in the class.