Graham Rahal has been winning races since his very first race in the NTT IndyCar Series back when he was only 19 years old. That was a long time ago and his winning ways have been on hiatus for a while too. A super talented guy like that doesn’t forget how to drive fast and win. This series is super competitive and everything has to be perfect (or you have to be super lucky) to get on the podium these days. We had the opportunity to talk with Rahal at the 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach about the challenges of going through the non-winning times and how he deals with it while also working to motivate those around him. He also talks about how he works with his teammates on set-up and balance of the race car. Being a family man (married to drag racer Courtney Force), Rahal also talks about balancing his life outside of racing. Enjoy!
NOTE: Graham Rahal finished 12th at Long Beach after qualifying 24th. The real drama came on bump day at Indianapolis where his teammate Jack Harvey bumped him out of the race! The next day, Stephan Wilson crashed and broke his back at the Speedway and Rahal was tapped to fill in for the “500.” Although he started last in 33rd, he finished 22nd. On a more positive note, Rahal qualified on the front row for the race at Mid-Ohio on July 2nd. Unfortunately, a stuck wheel during a pit stop slowed his momentum yet he still finished in the top ten (7th).
By Larry Mason
Copyright © 2023 Larry Mason
