Indy Lights' fifth man: Sean Rayhall

The 2015 Indy Lights championship will be decided this weekend with a double-header at Laguna Seca as Jack Harvey, Spencer Pigot, Ed Jones and R.C. Enerson fight to bag the money that opens the door to IndyCar. But you have to assume it would be a five-man battle if Sean Rayhall could have run the full season.

Rayhall, who missed six of the 13 races and ranks 12th in the point standings, made the most of his seven starts by posting wins at Indianapolis and Mid-Ohio plus scoring another podium for 8Star Motorsports. And the good news is that the 20-year-old Atlanta native has enough funding to get to the finale in California.

"Silver Arrow Technology came on for the last race and Bass Egg is already helping and I can't thank Enzo (Potolicchio, owner of 8Star) and all the people who invested in this program," said Rayhall. "We've got a small team but a good one and I'm looking forward to this weekend."

With only three full-timers, including veteran team manager Gary Neal, and no big-bucks sponsor, 8Star missed the first three races before debuting in Alabama. Starting second in the opener of the double-header on the IMS road course, Rayhall ran second to Harvey before turning the tables the next day (LEFT).

"What a great place to win my first Lights race," said Rayhall, who led all 35 laps.

He finished sixth in the Freedom 100 at Indy but missed the Toronto twin bill plus ovals at Iowa and Milwaukee before returning to Mid-Ohio. Starting fourth, he stalked Jones and Harvey before they tangled and led the final 18 laps.

Winning twice was great, but testing Chip Ganassi's Indy car last month at Sonoma might have been even better.

"Ganassi is so professional and they treated me like a full-season driver and it was so cool," continued Rayhall, who logged 65 laps in three hours in the Target Dallara-Chevrolet. "We weren't going for pace so much as testing things and I think the engineers were happy. I know I was."

As was Mike Hull, managing director for Target/Ganassi Racing.

"A bright kid, very mature and good to work with," said Hull.

Regardless of what happens in Monterey, it's already been a great year as Rayhall has also either raced or tested a LMPC (RIGHT, LAT photo), IMSA Lites, a GT3 Ferrari, Pro Mazda and a stock car. "And the plan is to run a sprint car in the near future so I can prep for the Chili Bowl," he said.

As for 2016, he's trying to keep his options open.

"I've been approached by a couple of sports car teams and of course I'd like to run the full Indy Lights season but I've got to keep my options open without saying no to anything," said Rayhall.

"I'll be on the phone non-stop for the next couple months trying to raise sponsorship but I want to be known as the guy who will drive anything, because I want to make my living as a racer."

So far he's off to a good start.