Graham Rahal hit the open market as a free agent after the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series but it didn’t take long for him to find a new deal.
Cue up “Coming Home.”
Rahal signed with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, the team co-owned by his father Bobby Rahal, a three-time CART series champion and the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner.
The younger Rahal and RLL Racing could prove to be the wild card in the chase for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship.
KEYS TO SUCCESS: Rahal is only 24 years old but he brings six years of open-wheel racing experience to his new team. He showed flashes of brilliance driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing and established himself as a worthy competitor.
Rahal performed better on the ovals last season, finishing within the top 10 in four of the five oval races. He came close to winning at Texas but brushed the wall during the final laps, costing him the lead and forcing him to settle for second place. Overall, Rahal had four top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes.
In the vehicle Rahal now inherits, Takuma Sato showed the RLL Racing car was able to compete with the top teams in 2012. At the Indianapolis 500, a last lap attempt to pass race leader Dario Franchitti saw Sato spin and crash out of the race. It was a daring move that cost him a spot on the podium. Sato did score two podium finishes, taking third place at Sao Paulo and second at Edmonton.
RLL Racing has now expanded to a two-car operation full-time with James Jakes joining Rahal for the 2013 season while Mike Conway will drive a third car at the Long Beach race. The team has stepped it up with a serious push for the championship. Keep in mind this is the same team that won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 with Buddy Rice and gave Danica Patrick her big break in IndyCar racing.
ROOM TO IMPROVE: Rahal’s two seasons with Chip Ganassi’s “B team” were marred with inconsistency. Sometimes he would finish within the top five while other times he was stuck in the middle of the pack.
Rahal will be expected to perform better during qualifying too. He didn’t crack the Firestone Fast Six once last season and it put him in a significant disadvantage on race day.
The opening race at St. Petersburg will be the perfect showcase for what Rahal and the RLL Racing team can do. Rahal scored his lone career victory at the street course in 2008 at age 19, setting the record for youngest driver to win a race in the series. He also earned pole position at St. Petersburg in 2009. If there’s any race Rahal has a chance to excel at, it’s this one.
CANADIAN CONNECTION: Rahal’s father Bobby won the inaugural Toronto race in 1986 and the family owns a cottage near St. Andrews, N.B.
OUTLOOK: Rahal has the talent to one day become the IZOD IndyCar Series champion and he should be the dark horse pick in the title chase this season. One thing is for sure: Rahal will be making more appearances on team co-owner David Letterman’s talk show.