Rahal Finished Eighth in the Hy-Vee One Step 250 at Iowa Speedway; Lundgaard and Fittipaldi Finished 17th and 20th

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Hy-Vee One Step 250 Presented by Gatorade

Iowa Speedway

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

RACE 2 NOTES / QUOTES – Sunday, July 14, 2024

RAHAL FINISHED EIGHTH IN THE HY-VEE ONE STEP 250 AT IOWA SPEEDWAY; LUNDGAARD AND FITTIPALDI FINISHED 17TH AND 20TH

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 One Cure Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Actually, I thought the track was getting better, contrary to what others might say. The guys were using one and a half lanes. You were able to actually pass up there. I passed a couple guys, they were lapped cars, but still. Yesterday, that wasn’t going to be a hope and a prayer, so I thought it got better. It’s hot and steamy today so it was a tough day. Our No. 15 One Cure 15 Honda was honestly damn good today. On the first stint we thought we were getting a really good fuel number. We could’ve had another fuel mapping to get even better, and we didn’t so that was something learned. That early pit really cost us compared to a couple of cars — obviously Palou and Power. Palou probably would’ve been ahead of us, but Power certainly wouldn’t have without catching that yellow. But, then on the second stop it didn’t really hurt us, so our boys did a good job in the pits. We had a solid day. We only missed getting Newgarden by not even half a second on pit exit. These are things we will all improve on as a team. We recognize we had the fuel number a little too high for the last stop and they probably short fueled Newgarden and that made the difference. Look, we’re playing with the big boys and on a day like today, I am pleased with the performance.”

FAST FACTS: Rahal started eighth for Race 2, ran as high as seventh and finished eighth. Power, who started 22nd and had yet to pit when a caution came out near the first pit window, used the opportunity to leapfrog the field and run second after he pit under that caution. Power later took the lead and held it until the checkered flag and was the only driver to finish ahead of Rahal that didn’t start ahead of him. In Race 1, Rahal qualified 12th 1 but had to serve a 9-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change and started 21st. On Lap 84, he slowed on track, and brought out a full course caution. He entered a closed pit for emergency service and later received a drive through penalty for having gotten full service. The team found that all but one of the metal spokes on his right front wheel broke. He ultimately took the checkered flag in 16th place after four more caution periods. He will start eighth for Sunday’s race.. The 2024 Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend doubleheader marked Graham Rahal’s 19th and 20th races here. He set the fourth fastest time in the test in Iowa on June 27. He has earned 11 top-10 finishes in 18 starts with his best being third in 2020. Last year, he qualified 13th for Race 1 but struggled with the handling of the race car and brought out the only caution of the 250-lap race on Lap 152 when he lost control of his race car in Turn 4 and made contact with the wall. He retired in 28th place. In Race 2, he qualified sixth and dropped back in the field while trying to dial in his race car on stops. The team elected to gamble and undercut the field by stopping a little earlier which was working out until a caution came out for Canapino and he ultimately finished in 20th place. In 2022, in Race 1 he started 16th, fell to the back of the field early on and worked his way back up to a ninth-place finish. In Race 2, he started 23rd, fell to the back in 26th and then worked his way back up to 13th in the closing stage of the race but was passed by Palou with six laps to go and took the checkered flag in 14th. In 2020, he started from 21st place and stayed on the lead lap until Lap 23 of 250. The team was on a four-stop strategy and the handling appeared to improve mid-to-late race, but he reported a vibration and struggled with the handling of the car, so he made another stop from 10th place on Lap 227 and ultimately finished 12th. In Race 2, in the Hy-Vee Honda, he set the eighth fastest time in the pre-race practice and started from 19th place. He extended his stint the longest and made his first stop from the lead on Lap 63. Due to track position, he went a lap down but was able to get it back by Lap 84 before he made his second stop from the lead on Lap 119 under caution for Carpenter once the pits opened. He returned to the track in fourth place and closed on third place Power before passing him on Lap 129 for third. He cycled back into the lead on Laps 171-174 before his third stop on Lap 175 and had moved into sixth a few laps later when Hunter-Reay brought out a caution. After the pits opened, a few drivers made stops and he restarted in fourth place. Once third place Daly made his stop, Rahal moved into third on Lap 216 and held it until the checkered flag… Has SIX IndyCar Series wins (2008 – St. Pete street course; 2015 – Fontana Super Speedway, Mid-Ohio road course; 2016 – Texas Super Speedway; 2017 Detroit Race 1, Detroit Race 2) and FIVE poles (2009 – St. Pete street course, Kansas oval; 2017 – Detroit Race 1 street; IMS (road) 2023 August, Portland (road) 2023) and his highest series season-ending standing is fourth place in 2015… He has a total of 177 points and is ranked 16th overall.

PIETRO FITTIPALDI, 30 Luther Automotive Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “On the start, we got stuck on the white line, got squeezed there and almost lost the car. I was able to save it, but I got stuck on the inside line and guys just started driving around me. We definitely need to analyze that and see what we can do better. In the race, we had decent pace, but we were just stuck in the back with no overtaking and finished P20. We will learn from our experience and come back strong. Focus forward to Toronto.”

FAST FACTS: He started 17th and dropped to 23rd on the opening lap and then to 27th on the following lap. Once he settled in, he steadily worked his way back into 20th place. Once he settled into the race, he was able to gain some positions back and was in 22nd place before a multi-car, last lap crash and he took the checkered flag in 20th place. In Race 1, he qualified 18th and started 17th due to Rahal’s grid penalty. He was running in 16th on Lap 229 of 250 when Power ran into the back of his car on a restart and sent him into the wall. He retired in 19th place. It was his first (and second) time to race at Iowa Speedway this weekend… He dropped one spot to 20th in the series standings with 124 points.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 45 Hy-Vee Dallara/Honda/Firestone: ““I was driving with (winner Will) Power the entire first stint and he won the race from basically there could have been us if we would’ve stayed out a little bit longer too. It would’ve been nice to have been in that position if, buts, and maybes aside, I think we did a good job today. The Hy-Vee car is a little interesting compared to yesterday so we will look into that. Obviously, the weather and the track temp are different but finishing the race and moving forward was a positive and we were right there with them at the end even though we were a lap behind. I don’t think the race pace was that bad, we just needed more qualifying pace.”

FAST FACTS: He qualified 19th and started 18th after Daly replaced Harvey, who had back issues. Lundgaard briefly moved up one spot but dropped to 20th soon thereafter, which he held for most of the first stint. He ran 17th for most of his second stint and took the checkered flag there. In Race 1, 14th-place starter Malukas lost control of his car on the opening lap and collected Grosjean and Canapino. Simultaneous to that Lundgaard also lost control and a caution was brought out. Lundgaard was towed to Turn 4 and then through the paddock rather than restarted, which is at the discretion of the series. Once his car was back in the pits, he was restarted and completed one lap. Data showed that it was overheated, and he had to return to the pits and behind pit wall for the hybrid unit to be discharged. By the time he was back on track he was over 40 laps down to the leaders. He ultimately retired in 22nd place before the checkered flag once no more positions were to be gained. This marked Christian’s fifth and sixth races at Iowa Speedway. In 2023, he started off the weekend right by winning the first Hy-Vee Pit Stop Challenge on Friday night. For Race 1 he qualified and finished 20th. In Race 2, he qualified 21st and finished 13th. In 2022, he qualified 20th for Race 1 and drove to his highest career oval finish to date of 10th place. In Race 2, he qualified 17th and was running 15th when he pit due to brake issues after completing 112 of 300 laps. The team was unable to repair the car in time to return to the race and he retired in 26th place. After running well during a test at Iowa Speedway on June 21, he is optimistic of being able to have a competitive run in the doubleheader races… He maintained a 13th place rank in series standings with 203.

NEXT UP: The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto will take place next Sunday, July 21 and be televised on Peacock beginning at 12 am ET. Hy-Vee Honda driver Lundgaard won the race from pole last year.