'We didn't earn it. I don't believe in that': Graham Rahal won't buy his way into Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS -- Graham Rahal, who was bumped Sunday afternoon from the field for this week's Indianapolis 500, said Monday afternoon he and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have no plans to buy the veteran driver a seat in the field or sub the 34-year-old in for one of his teammates -- one of whom directly knocked Rahal from the field.
Graham's famous father, RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal, told reporters Sunday on pitlane they would not remove 500 one-off driver Katherine Legge from RLL's No. 44 Honda seat for the younger Rahal. This year's lone driver not to make the 107th Indy 500 stood behind that sentiment Monday afternoon in an interview on Peacock during the day's two-hour practice.
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In the hours since fellow RLL full-time driver Jack Harvey used a last-ditch effort to miraculously bump Rahal from the field Sunday, some within the IndyCar paddock wondered privately if Legge or Harvey, whose contract with RLL ends after this season and whose year-plus tenure has been rocky at best, would be forced to give up their rides in place of the 34-year-old that has become a foundational asset to RLL's growth.
Back in 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay failed to make the Indy 500 field with Andretti Autosport in the midst of a disastrous bump day for Michael Andretti's team where only three of his five drivers qualified for the initial field of 33. The following day, he and A.J. Foyt Racing made arrangements to replace Bruno Junqueira with the future 500 winner in the No. 41.
"At Indy, you've go to earn it, and we didn't earn it. I don't believe in that," Rahal said on Peacock. "I'm not meant to be in this race. I'm not a super religious person, but I'm a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason, and the 2023 Indy 500 was not in my cards.
"It's going to be tough, obviously, for United Rentals and Fifth-Third Bank (two of his major sponsors) and everyone else who put so much into our RLL No. 15 car. It's not what we want for them, but I also don't think it's right to replace anybody here. All these cars are funded and need to represent their sponsors. My focus is Detroit and how I can personally make sure this never happens again at this organization. That's already started this morning. I've been making phone calls and been chasing people to do the right things and get the right information so we can move forward."
Nearly 24 hours after Harvey managed to go faster on his final qualifying run in the Last Chance Qualifier, despite stopping briefly in his pit stall to make minor adjustments after his second run and the typical performance deficit a car has with a hot engine, Rahal still hadn't quire come to terms with the "magical things" that kept him out of next Sunday's race.
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Harvey finished with a four-lap average speed (229.166 mph) that was just 0.007 mph quicker than his teammate (229.159 mph). The British driver's initial four-lap run Sunday afternoon was nearly 0.7 mph slower than Rahal's before Harvey made consistent progress in both run Nos. 2 and 3.
"I don't understand how a hot car goes faster on a run, but I've always said this place is magic. Magical things have to happen in order for things to be just right," Rahal said. "And for Jack, the magic happened last night. No one's ever seen a heat-soaked car go faster, and god bless him. He did a great job hanging on for four laps, and I don't believe in buying my way in.
"I think there's still a lot I can add here. I'm going to try and be here for all my teammates and see how much better we can make their cars and go out and compete. We still have challenges ahead, no doubt about that, but I want to make sure I can help the organization get as far forward as we can. I spent the whole morning in meetings, focusing on next year and seeing what we can do to move the team forward. They've got a race ahead of them, and we're here to help."
Could Rahal replace Wilson if needed?
Rahal's statements came before Legge crashed during Monday's two-hour practice, flying into the back of Stefan Wilson's car as the pair headed into Turn 1 as a large pack ran single-file on the front straight. Legge, the 42-year-old British driver making her first 500 start in a decade, said she didn't notice the line of cars that had slowed in front of Wilson but attempted to down-shift twice and hit the brakes but couldn't avoid running into the back of the No. 24 Chevy.
Legge spoke with reporters afterwards, exited her No. 44 Honda under her own power and was said to be "seen and released" by IndyCar medical director Dr. Julia Vaizer at the IMS infield care center.
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Wilson had to be carefully extricated from his cockpit and was fitted with a neck brace on a stretcher, though he did give a thumbs up to the crowd before the ambulance doors closed. He was then transported to IU Methodist Hospital in downtown Indianapolis for "advanced imagining" and further evaluation. "(Stefan) is doing well. He's in good spirits and has no significant issues," Dr. Vaizer told reporters.
As a longtime Honda driver, it would be unlikely for Rahal to crossover to a Chevy team as a replacement for Wilson, should any injuries he sustained in Monday's practice crash be too severe to allow him to race in Sunday's 500. Notably, ex-DRR driver JR Hildebrand was spotted at IMS Monday after having been in Speedway early the previous week and getting a physical in case he would need to be considered for a backup role. He then flew back home to Colorado briefly before returning to Indiana over the weekend to test a midget car for a race this Friday.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500: Graham Rahal won't buy ride after missing field
