Season Recap 2008

2008

Drivers: Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alex Lloyd

Car #: 17, 16

Sponsors: Ethanol, WiiFit

Championship Finish: 8^th

Ryan Hunter-Reay ran his first full season with Rahal Letterman in 2008 and had won of the strongest seasons for the team in the previous five years. Hunter-Reay finished seventh in two of the year’s first three races and led late in the opener at St. Petersburg before fuel mileage thwarted his bid. He qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in the 20^th spot and made up 14 positions over 500 miles on his way to a sixth-place finish and Indy 500 Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He broke a 52-race winless streak for the team when he took the checkered flag at Watkins Glen, passing Darren Manning with nine laps to go to take the lead. He was running second at Texas with five laps to go when he was involved in an accident that ended his evening. Hunter-Reay earned top-10 finishes in five of the year’s final six races to secure the eighth position in the season standings and would up with 10 top-ten runs for the year. Alex Lloyd joined the team through a partnership with Target Chip Ganassi Racing for the Indy 500 and the former Indy Lights champion started 19^th and finished 25^th.