Rahal Was 12th When the Firestone 600 Was Stopped By a Red Flag Due to Inclement Weather; Rescheduled for August 27

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Firestone 600 – Texas Motor Speedway

Verizon IndyCar Series

RACE NOTES/QUOTES – Sunday, June 12, 2016

RAHAL WAS IN 12TH PLACE IN THE FIRESTONE 600 AT TEXAS MOTORSPEEDWAY BEFORE INCLEMENT WEATHER STOPPED THE RACE AFTER 71 OF 248 LAPS; RACE RESCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 27 

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Mi-Jack / RLL Dallara/Honda/Firestone:  “I had a really good start but I got held up a little bit, which is fine. I was just trying to be patient.  At the end of the day, I think we had a pretty good baseline to get going from. I was having fun and just trying to work my way forward and be really patient. It’s frustrating to not get to finish the race.  I feel bad for the fans. We’ll just have to try to regroup and come back and try this again another day. My thoughts are with Josef and I hope that he is 100 percent again soon.”

• FAST FACTS: Rahal started the race in 13th place and was in 11th when he made his first pit stop on Lap 35. A full course caution came out on Lap 42 for contact between Conor Daly and Josef Newgarden. The race remained under caution to clear debris before the red flag came out after 71 laps were complete with Rahal in 12th place.  Was his eighth event here and ninth race (two in 2011)… In 2015, he qualified sixth and set the second fastest time in the final practice but struggled with the handling of his car during the race due to the downforce level the team elected to run and finished 15th… He qualified 21st in 2014 and finished 12th.  He qualified 19th in 2013 and started 17th after two cars ahead served 10-grid penalties for unapproved engine changes. He struggled with the handling of his race car and finished 21st. He set the fastest single lap in qualifying in 2012 but the grid is set based on a two-lap average and he qualified third in 2012. In the race, he led 27 laps but a slight brush of the wall with two laps to go forced him to settle for second place with Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing (SCCGR). He qualified 20th for the first of two heat races in 2011 and finished ninth with SCCGR. He drew the fourth starting spot for Race 2 in 2011 and finished 30th.  He did not compete in Texas in 2010 during his partial season of competition.  He qualified 12th with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR) in 2009 but retired in 22nd place after contact. In 2008, he qualified 18th and finished 11th with NHLR… He is ranked 12th in series standings with a total of 255 points. He trails leader Simon Pagenaud by 132 points (357), second place Scott Dixon by 52 (277), and fifth place Carlos Munoz by 17 (242) after Round 8 of 16.

NEXT UP: The series will take next weekend off before the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America on June 26. The last time Graham Rahal raced there in 2007, he finished third with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. The team will participate in a test there on Wednesday, June 15.

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