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…
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