Graham Rahal leaves Indy race yearning for Ganassi pace

He gave it every little thing he had.

Given sturdy likelihood to finish his prolonged winless streak, Graham Rahal did almost every little thing proper. He decisively jumped from second into the race lead within the opening corners when the inexperienced flag flew, saved championship chief Alex Palou within the rear-view mirror for 2 full tire stints and led a race-high 48 laps. 

Nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient. 

Beginning on recent alternate tires, Rahal held the web lead for the opening two-thirds of the race, pacing double-digit laps for the primary time since Portland in 2023. Palou stuffed his mirrors, however Rahal was in a position to hold the two-time defending champion at bay via the opening three two tire stints. 

For a short second, it seemed like Rahal would possibly lastly finish his 128-race winless streak – a drought that stretches again to his 2017 weekend sweep at Belle Isle Park. However ultimately, the tire technique that helped Rahal maintain onto the highest spot for therefore lengthy proved to be his undoing. 

Struggling to stretch a used set of alternate tires into the ultimate pit window, Rahal might solely watch as Palou closed as much as his rear wing on new primaries. By lap 58 Palou was proper in his wake, leaping to the surface going into flip 1. Rahal managed to resist that transfer, however he was helpless to defend himself when Palou surged alongside him on the backstretch and cleared him on the within into flip 7. 

From that second on, the battle for the win was over. All Rahal might do from there was battle to salvage what he might from the remainder of the race. 

“I’m attempting, man,” a upset Rahal radioed to his crew. 

The following laps weren’t fairly. Struggling on the degrading tire, Rahal shortly fell again from Palou. By the top of lap 62, he’d light over eight seconds behind the eventual winner and into the clutches of third-place Scott McLaughlin. 

Determined for recent rubber, Rahal introduced his No. 15 to pit street. However the cease proved to be sadly timed. Rahal’s crew needed to watch for the pitting Kyle Kirkwood to go earlier than releasing him, costing the veteran invaluable monitor time within the course of. When the following pit sequence was full, Rahal had fallen out of podium competition.

Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Picture by: Penske Leisure

From there, all Rahal might do was maintain on. He finally wound up sixth at race’s finish. It was an excellent outcome – his finest in 24 races, relationship again to a runner-up run on the similar monitor in 2023. Nevertheless it additionally got here with an amazing sense of disappointment. 

Ultimately, Rahal felt there was nothing he might do to beat Palou, or Chip Ganassi Racing as a complete. 

“I genuinely am proud,” Rahal mentioned of his run. “I don’t suppose I locked up as soon as. I don’t suppose I put one wheel mistaken. I defended as finest I might. However they’re (CGR) simply in a unique stratosphere of grip. … I attempted to simply drive as flawlessly as I might, as a result of I knew that was the one option to beat (Palou). However sadly, we’re simply not of their league proper now.” 

Optimistic begin, powerful end for the RLL workforce

Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Devlin Defrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Picture by: Penske Leisure

Rahal’s outcome was a microcosm of the day for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, who entered Saturday afternoon with three top-five qualifiers and left Indianapolis with out a single top-five to indicate for it. Rookie Louis Foster certified third, however light to eleventh over the course of the race. Devlin DeFrancesco rolled off fifth however sat seventeenth when the checkered flag flew. 

The group, very similar to the remainder of the paddock, should hold looking for the key to Ganassi’s tempo heading into the Indianapolis 500.

“They’re so quick,” Rahal mentioned. “It’s not just a bit, it’s in every single place. Even on the straightaways, they only speed up at a unique tempo. … Any Ganassi automotive behind me, it was like they’d 10 additional kilos of increase. It’s wild. 

“We’ve simply gotta hold working arduous to determine what the hell they’re doing.”