Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Verizon IndyCar Series
RACE NOTES/QUOTES – July 31, 2016
STEAK ‘N SHAKE DRIVER RAHAL FINISHED FOURTH IN THE HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I’m a little bit frustrated we couldn’t be a little better. I wanted to win today but I think we got the absolute most out of this thing. That first yellow kind of hurt us but that’s how racing goes sometimes. We rebounded nicely and got some points. It feels good to get another top-five for the Steak ‘n Shake team. We have been pretty strong on the road courses this year. I wouldn’t say luck was completely on our side; that first yellow hurt us, but we rebounded pretty well. I’m really proud of my guys. We had our backs up against the wall after that first yellow but we kept our heads down. We had a great car today, it was faster than most but it was just hard to pass. It’s always great to come back home. Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Steak ‘n Shake team and the IndyCar Series.”
- FAST FACTS: Rahal started sixth and was passed by Montoya on the start when he experienced an over boost. Once that was adjusted, he settled into seventh place and made his first stop on Lap 17 during a caution for contact between Dixon and Castroneves. He returned to the race in 17th place while multiple fuel strategies were in play and the top three had yet to pit. He moved to 15th after Castroneves and Newgarden had issues and would have gained two spots but was passed by Kanaan and ran 15th. He was eighth when he made his second stop on Lap 40/90 and returned to the track in 14th place. After attrition took a few drivers out, Rahal ran 10th by Lap 51. He passed Pigot for ninth place on Lap 59 and made his final stop during the caution for Hawksworth on Lap 62. He returned to the track in 10th place and once the race was restarted, fifth place Kimball drove off track and Rahal moved into 9th. He was able to pass Kanaan on Lap 67 for eighth place and Ryan Hunter-Reay for seventh on Lap 77. Once race leader Daly made his out-of-sequence stop on Lap 84, Rahal moved into sixth. He closed on Bourdais to set up a possible pass but fifth place Bourdais attempted to pass fourth place Sato and the two collided and Rahal moved to fourth. He closed on third place Munoz but was unable to pass before the checkered flag… The 2016 Honda Indy 200 marked Rahal’s ninth Indy car race here. His best start is fourth in 2009 and his best finish is his win here in 2015. He has competed in many other series at his “home track.” In 2015, he led a race-high 23 laps en route to victory with a 3.4-second margin over Justin Wilson. In 2014, he qualified seventh and avoided an opening lap, multi-car crash to take over fourth place. He maintained a top-five position throughout the race with the exception of pit cycles and ran as high as third at one point. An alternate strategy played out for eventual winner Scott Dixon who started 22nd and made four pit stops in comparison to the majority who made three. Rahal took the checkered flag in fifth place to better his previous best finish at this track of eighth place in 2009. In 2013, Rahal qualified 22nd, and ran as high as eighth on a three pit stop strategy but finished 18th after being held up by drivers on a two-stop strategy. In 2012 he qualified 22nd, started 21st (engine penalty ahead on grid) and finished 11th with Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing (SCCGR). In 2011 he qualified sixth, stalled in the pits after his first stop and finished 24th with SCCGR. In 2010, he qualified 25th with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR) and had moved up to 14th when he attempted to pass Wheldon for 13th on Lap 61/85 in T2 and went off course and dropped to 21st. Finished 20th. In 2009, he started fourth with NHLR and looked likely to finish fourth before an off-track excursion while fifth late in the race led to an eighth place finish. In 2008, he started 14th with NHLR and ran as high as eighth, but an off track excursion on lap 53 limited him to a 16th place finish. At the age of 16 in 2005, he became the youngest to claim the SCCA National Formula Atlantic championship at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs here by a dominant 43-seconds. He also competed in the Star Mazda race here in 2005 (S/F 4/9) and tested a Grand Am car here in 2007… His top finish this season is second place at Barber Motorsports Park and his top start is sixth at Barber, Road America and Mid-Ohio. He also qualified third for the Indy GP but his car was disqualified for being a few pounds underweight… Rahal moved from 11th to ninth in series point standings with a total of 324 and is only 33 points behind fifth place Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan (tied with 357).NEXT UP: The series will take the next two weekends off but the teams will be busy testing. RLL will test at Pocono on Wednesday, August 3, Indianapolis on Monday, August 8 and Watkins Glen on Thursday, August 11.
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