Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda Indy Toronto – Streets around Exhibition Place
Verizon IndyCar Series
RACE NOTES/QUOTES – Sunday, July 17, 2016
RAHAL FINISHED 13TH IN THE HONDA INDY TORONTO; CONTACT AT START FORCED EARLY PIT STOPS
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Rousseau Metal Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We got unlucky with that caution (Newgarden); it killed our strategy. Kimball hit us on the start and flattened our tire so right away we were behind the eight ball. That’s the way some of these have gone this year. We fight awfully hard but we have work to do.”
- FAST FACTS: Started 16th and was hit on the start by Kimball which led to a flat tire and forced pit stop. The team capitalized on a caution for debris from contact between Montoya and Newgarden to top off fuel two more times. Multiple pit strategies led to Rahal being sixth when the team called him in for his last stop and seconds later Newgarden crashed which brought out a full course caution and closed the pits. Rahal made his final stop on Lap 60/85. The timing benefitted eventual winner Will Power who entered the pits as Newgarden crashed and third place finisher Hinchcliffe who was able to stretch his fuel to the end, among others. Rahal returned to the track in 17th place but 12th of those who stopped at the same time. With a few laps to go, ninth place Hawksworth crashed and 14th place Montoya ran into the tires. On the restart with one lap to go, Rahal passed Daly for a 13th place finish… Was his 10th Indy car race here and 11th overall including his 2006 Atlantic race… In nine Indy car races, his best Toronto start is third in 2009 with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and his best finish is fifth in 2010 with Newman/Haas Racing. More detail on each start is available upon request… His best finish this season is second place at Barber and third at Road America and best start is sixth in Barber and Road America. He qualified third for the Indy GP but was moved to 24th after his car failed tech inspection due to being underweight… In the seven road and street races so far this season, he has earned two podiums (2nd – Barber, 3rd – Elkhart Lake) and four, top-four finishes. Avoidable contact from another driver in St. Pete, a fuel economy race that didn’t go his way in Long Beach and a loose brake line in Detroit Dual 2 limited those results despite competitive weekends… Rahal is ranked 11th in series point standings with a total of 292 points.
NEXT UP: The series will take next weekend off before returning to action on July 29-31 for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Graham Rahal returns as defending champion after having led a race-high 23 laps in the 2015 race to win his home event.
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