Yahoo Autos Rahal to replace Wilson at DRR for Indianapolis 500
Graham Rahal cherishes the year he spent as teammate to the late Justin Wilson in 2008, when the teenager learned important things about life and racing from the gentle Briton. Fifteen years later, he’s getting another opportunity to partner with the Wilson family, this time with Justin’s younger brother Stefan, who is sidelined from competing in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 due to injury.
In one of the most remarkable stories imaginable at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Stefan Wilson, his sponsor and team owner Don Cusick, and the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team that fields Wilson’s No. 24 Chevy have asked Rahal to be their driver in the 107th Indy 500.
“We are very sad that Stefan was injured Monday and now is unable to compete this Sunday in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports/CareKeepers Chevrolet,” said Dennis Reinbold, DRR team owner.
“Stefan put so much effort into this race that it is just heartbreaking for this to have happened. However, we are announcing that Graham Rahal will now drive the No. 24 car this Sunday. We have known Graham for over a decade as he drove our car in 2010 at Iowa Speedway. He suffered through a tough weekend here, but we believe Graham can perform very well this Sunday.”
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The call was made on Monday, the day after Rahal was bumped from the field in his own No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, and Rahal accepted, completing an emotion-filled journey of his own. The opportunity comes after Wilson received the news that he’d fractured his back and would be unable to race after being hit from behind and launched into the Turn 1 wall at over 200mph during practice.
“First and foremost, the only thing that matters is that Stefan is doing well considering the circumstances,” said Cusick. “We are completely gutted for Stefan and now will miss his favorite racing event, the legendary Indy 500. We wouldn’t be here without him and we are committed to supporting him every step on the way to recovery and beyond.
