Rahal Top Honda and Fourth Fastest in Practice for the Angie’s List GP of Indy; Pigot 12th Fastest in His Second Series Event

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis

Verizon IndyCar Series

PRACTICE NOTES/QUOTES – May 12, 2016

RAHAL TOP HONDA AND FOURTH FASTEST OVERALL TODAY IN PRACTICE FOR THE ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS; PIGOT 12TH FASTEST IN HIS SECOND SERIES EVENT

1)         Scott Dixon                1:09.8281 / 125.743 mph      

4)         Graham Rahal           1:09.9896 / 125.453 mph       (P2 in Practice 1, P3 in Practice 2)

12)       Spencer Pigot           1.10.2541 / 124.981 mph       (P12 in both practice sessions)

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Dallara/Honda/Firestone:  “I think we are okay in terms of performance. We took a big swing there and made a big change for Practice 2. It was one of those things that would either go our way or not and I think it hurt us a bit so we will go back on that change for tomorrow. Spencer (Pigot) had some good finds so we will work with that. Overall we are competitive but I have been fighting a pretty bad cold so it beat me up a little today.  We ran a lot of laps this afternoon and were pounding around so I definitely got a workout in so I will sleep well tonight, that’s for sure.  I think we learned some stuff there, we definitely learned the wrong way to go. We’re going to make some changes and get this Steak ‘n Shake machine back up front.”

• FAST FACTS: Will be his third Indy car race on the road course at IMS. In 2015, he finished second after starting 17th.  He moved to sixth on the opening lap after avoiding a multi-car accident and passed Filippi for fifth place on Lap 10. As others made their first pit stops he moved into the lead for laps 22-23 and gained valuable track position before he pitted at the end of Lap 23. He returned to the track in fifth place and moved into second a few laps later when three out-of-pit-sequence cars made their stops.  Leader Will Power pitted and Rahal returned to the lead on Laps 40-43 after being able to stretch his stint due to maintaining good fuel mileage compared to others. The team opted to stay on track one lap longer than previously determined before his second stop but at the pit exit Rahal closed on the car of Scott Dixon, who was returning to the track with cold tires and a heavy fuel load and slightly held up Rahal, who had a light fuel load and hot tires. Rahal pitted the next time by, at the end of Lap 43, and returned to the race in fifth place but again reclaimed second place a few laps later. While navigating lapped traffic earlier, most notably the 23rd place car of Josef Newgarden, who ran between he and Power, the gap to Power grew at times but he finally passed him after he returned to the track from his third and final stop. On Lap 63 of 82 he was -4.4 seconds behind Power but closed to -1.4 by Lap 70. He ultimately took the checkered flag 1.5 seconds behind the reigning series champion… In the inaugural Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis in 2014, Rahal started 12th, ran as high as sixth and was 11th when he was hit by Montoya on a restart on Lap 51/82 and ultimately finished 21st… His best qualifying position of the season so far is sixth and best finish is second — both at Barber… He is ranked sixth in series point standings with a total of 100 and is only six points out of fifth (Kanaan, 106).

SPENCER PIGOT, No. 16 RLL / Mi-Jack / Manitowoc Dallara/Honda/Firestone:  “It’s great to be back in the car, I have been waiting a while. We had a really good day today. We kept improving, the car is getting better and better and I am getting comfortable in it again.  It’s cool to be driving an Indy car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s so much quicker than what I am used to driving here which makes it a lot more fun. I’m really enjoying it. The straight line speed here is higher than I have ever experienced, and you are braking all the way down to really slow corners. It’s a unique track.”

• FAST FACTS: Will be his second Indy car race and fifth overall race here… In his series debut in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Pigot ran as high as 12th and finished 14th…Although he started from pole in two of his four races here, his finishing positions have been limited due to Turn 1 incidents in all four races. In 2014, he competed in the Pro Mazda doubleheader where he started from pole in both races and finished eighth in both.  In 2015, he competed in the Indy Lights doubleheader where he qualified sixth for Race 1 and finished seventh and qualified and finished 12th in race two.  He still holds the Pro Mazda qualifying record which he set in 2014 (1:26.9623 / 105.836)… Pigot is the most successful driver since the formation of the Mazda Road to Indy in 2010 with 24 race wins to his credit in USF2000, Pro Mazda and Indy Lights. He was the 15th driver to graduate from the Mazda Road to Indy into the Verizon IndyCar Series since 2010.  He has won no fewer than four scholarship prizes from Mazda to maintain his career’s momentum to get to the IndyCar Series. 

RLL AT INDY ROAD COURSE…. The Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis will mark the third Verizon IndyCar Series race on the 2.439-mile road course. The team’s best finish here is second in 2015 and best start is 12th in 2014 – both by Graham Rahal.

NEXT UP: Practice 3 will take place tomorrow from 11:00-11:45 a.m. ET and qualifying will take place from 3:00-4:15 PM. Timing and Scoring information and live streaming video is available for all sessions from www.indycar.com and includes live commentary by the IMS Radio Network. The Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis will be televised live on ABC at 3:30 PM ET Saturday, May 14.

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