Graham Rahal Patiently Waiting For His Turn at Indy
Graham Rahal has a lot of things to keep him busy. The second-generation driver remains concentrated on his IndyCar career, and the future of RLL Racing. His Graham Rahal Performance business is booming, and he and his wife Courtney just welcomed their second child into the world. These are all great things, especially when you need a distraction.
The Month of May is always chaotic, especially for the drivers. The two weeks leading up to the race are full of excitement, nervousness, patience, and hard work. Race day itself is all of that combined, and more.
The race last year was historic for several reasons, but for Graham it was one of those “what if” days.
Rahal was leading the race when he came into pit lane on Lap 118 of 200. There was an issue with getting the left-rear tire secured on the car, and by the time he reached Turn 2 on the warmup lane, it had fallen off. The No. 15 Honda spun into the outside wall and his day was done. It delivered a dream-crushing gut punch for he and the team.
"We were in the perfect spot... We had them today," a frustrated Rahal said after the race. "Our strategy got us right where we needed to be. I was fuel saving and we were just cruising. I’m sorry for our team and my sponsors we didn’t win this thing, because we should have."
Even after a heart-breaking moment like that, Graham refused to lay blame on his team.
"I can’t tell you how bad this one stings, but we win as a team, we lose as a team. The boys did an excellent job all month. I’m not disappointed in them. I know there is a lot of pressure on their shoulders. Everyone’s trying hard, but I think this one’s going to sting. Days like these don’t come around very often."
One year removed, Graham has put it all into perspective. "I've always felt that this track and this race kind of picks its winner, and every year is a different chapter in the book. Last year it wasn't meant to be my chapter, for whatever reason. Often the Indy 500 is a Hollywood script that's kind of coming together in front of our eyes. If we play our cards right, hopefully we'll get our shot."
Now at the age of 33, Graham is much wiser and knowledgeable than when he came into the sport as a teenager. There has been a lot of learning, both personally and professionally. Graham’s maturation over the last few years has the RLL team in a much better place. The organization has expanded to three cars, with Jack Harvey and rookie Christian Lundgaard joining the fold.
“I'm getting closer to the end. In the position I'm at in my career now, I would say I'm definitely focused on winning more than ever before. I'm focused on being a good teammate. I'm also focused on helping build this team. It never really was my mindset that someday I would be a team owner. But the minute that building (new team shop in Zionsville) was built, I got a phone call from Mike Lanigan and my dad. It was very clear that the expectation is that I'm going to assume that role.”
Last season, the team had the best average finish across its cars among the five powerhouse teams of Andretti Autosport, Arrow McLaren SP, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Team Penske. The potential for multiple race wins is there, says team owner Bobby Rahal.
"You take a look at the performance, and it’s just a matter of time," the 1986 Indy 500 winner said. "You need a little bit of luck and all that other good stuff, but the performance is there. I really think that Graham’s performance is going to take a jump up because of Jack and Christian."
Despite not having a podium yet, Graham has had a solid start this season. He qualified 11th and finished 7th in the season-opener at St Petersburg. He earned another 7th place result at Long Beach, and an 8th place result at Barber. He is still trying to snap his winless streak, and there is no better place to do that than Indianapolis.
Sunday's race will be the 15th Indy 500 start for Rahal, where he has two 3rd-place finishes. Qualifying didn’t go great for the team, but there is a good omen for Graham, who starts from the 21st position.
The driver starting 21st has only won the race one time. That race was won by L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer, who were driving the No. 15 car.
Graham and his father have a lot in common. They were both born in January, both are business owners, and both of them have won races and poles in IndyCar. The only thing left for Graham to do is to match his father's Indianapolis 500 win.
Should Graham drink the bottle of milk on Sunday, they would join Al Unser Sr and Jr as the only father-son combination to win the Indy 500.
"Trust me," he said. "I've thought about it - and you try not to. I want to actually live it versus just dream it. Dad and I have talked about this many times. To win Indy would be special, but to win Indy together would mean more than you could really put into words."
