It’s been so long since Graham Rahal scored his first – and most recent – IndyCar Series victory that if a child were born that day the kid would be 6 years old by now.
It was April 6, 2008 when Rahal became the “face of unification” as the Champ Car Series dissolved and many of its teams were absorbed by the Indy Racing League to form today’s IndyCar Series. He was just a teenager and a win in his first-ever IndyCar Series race was a record for youngest winner.
Six years and nearly two months later, Rahal is still waiting on his second win.
And for much of Saturday’s Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit – the first race in a Verizon IndyCar Series doubleheader – it looked like Rahal would finally get a chance to score another victory. He was running the fastest laps of any driver in the 70-lap race and had his sights set on race-leader Will Power.
The son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, who happens to co-own the IndyCar team along with television host David Letterman and Chicago Southside industrialist Michael Lanigan, was racing fiercely and fearlessly but in the end could not get his Honda past Power’s Chevrolet. He finished second just 0.3308 seconds behind Power.
But it has given Rahal hope that his long wait between victories may finally be getting closer to ending.
“Our car was the quickest at the end and I knew I had an opportunity on the restart,” Rahal said. “My guys did a phenomenal job and this team is made up of champions. I knew there would come a time we are going to win one. We’re going to do it. I can promise you that I’m going to win one.
“We’re going to do it and I’m going to finally get that monkey off my back.”
The “monkey” has been on Rahal’s back for so long it’s a full-grown gorilla by now. But Rahal was confident and upbeat that his team is finally coming together after a slow and frustrating start to the season.
“It’s a great day for us for many, many reasons,” Rahal said. “With the year we have had, with the luck we’ve had, for things to turn around finally get a good result means more than we can possibly tell you.
“To bounce back here, it’s only half of the weekend, but of course it feels great to be in this position. I’m sure it’s good for us in points.”
Rahal had another chance at his elusive second victory on Sunday in the second race of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit doubleheader. But his day of hope and confidence would suddenly turn into despair and confusion when he was part of a three-car pileup that was actually triggered by Power when he drove over the curb in Turn 3. That sent Josef Newgarden flying into the path of Rahal and Justin Wilson.
It ruined the chances for Rahal. Although he would return to the track Rahal finished 21st in the 22-car field.
Power was penalized by IndyCar officials for avoidable contact.
“These things happen,” Rahal said. “All I know is I ended up in the crap. Everybody is racing hard and playing hard but it’s unfortunate. We just have to keep racing hard, that’s all we can do. I picked off six cars at the start of the race and thought it was looking good but you have to get through the corners.
“I have no clue what (Power) did and what happened between him and Newgarden. All I know is Newgarden was turning in and he was perpendicular to me.”
As Rahal tried to take the latest disappointment in stride some of his key team members questioned Power’s move so early in the race.
“It’s really sad when you have a car that fast and knowing starting where we did he could make it up front by the end and he didn’t even make it through the start,” said team manager Mitch Davis. “It’s really confusing to us that somebody who makes mistakes as often as Will Power does gets a drive-through penalty and finishes second. Sportsmanship is everything.”
Rahal knew entering Sunday’s race that his performance on Saturday would mean nothing on Sunday.
He was right.
“You just never know what can happen,” Rahal said on Saturday. “It’s one of those deals that today could be a phenomenal day, tomorrow could be bad, or they both could be good.”
Rahal is tired of “feeding the gorilla” that has been on his back since 2008. He’s ready to get rid of it once and for all with another victory in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
