Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Grand Prix of Indianapolis
Verizon IndyCar Series
PRACTICE NOTES/QUOTES – May 8, 2014
RAHAL AND SERVIA SET THE SEVENTH AND 23RD FASTEST TIMES IN PRACTICE FOR THE INAUGURAL GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS; BOTH PLEASED WITH LAYOUT
1) Scott Dixon 1:10.4654 / 124.606 mph
7) Graham Rahal 1:10.7893 / 124.036 mph
23) Oriol Servia 1:11.3928 / 122.987 mph
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 National Guard Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I think we are starting to figure some things out with the National Guard car. We’re getting it into a better zone, and definitely more competitive. I’m proud of these guys for keeping their heads down and getting it done. There is still work to be done but its work to be done coming from sixth (in afternoon session) versus coming from the back which is a good change for us. Hopefully we can improve on Friday, hopefully it will stay dry and we’ll see what happens.
“It’s (track) fast. I think that’s what this place has over others. This is the fastest road course that we will go to this season. The top speed is 196, 197 mph which is pretty quick for these things on a road course. I’m pretty impressed. The facilities are phenomenal as you would expect; this is Indy. It’s IndyCar Country and I hope the fans come out and support this. It’s by far the closest field you have seen in IndyCar history this weekend. It’s very, very competitive.”
ORIOL SERVIA, No. 16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Graham and I started the day with the same setup and had the exact same grip on the car but in the second practice, we tried two different solutions and I think Graham is happy with his and I wasn’t happy at all. It’s a benefit of having two cars. I’m pretty sure we will end up moving towards the solutions the National Guard team found.
(On changes to the track since the Open Test:) “They have done a good job finishing all of the small details. They painted the curbs and they look great. It’s funny how just a little bit of color and aesthetics change the whole feel. They’ve painted the curbs in three different color tones which look really nice. I’m sure the fans are going to like it and they will look great on TV.”
RLL AT INDY ROAD COURSE…. This will mark the first race for the team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Graham Rahal and RLL were one of two drivers/teams asked to provide input on possible changes to the course during a test here on September 4, 2013. The 2014 Indy 500 will mark the 17th time for the team to compete in the Indy 500.
NEXT UP: Practice will take place tomorrow morning from 10:00-10:45 a.m. PT. Qualifying will take place from 2:00-3:10 PM. Timing and Scoring information is available for all sessions from www.indycar.com and includes live commentary by the IMS Radio Network. The Grand Prix of Indianapolis will be televised live on ABC at 3:30 PM ET Saturday, May 10.
PHOTO AND VIDEO AVAILABLE: Media members who register on the IndyCar Series media site have access to photography as well as video. Register for access to photos at: www.indycarmedia.com/pages/ApplyforAccess