BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – It was an eventful weekend for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. In the end, even Mother Nature couldn’t stop drivers Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato from charging to top-10 finishes in the Honda Grand Prix of Indy of Alabama presented by America’s First.
Rahal put together a relatively quiet drive in Monday’s completion of the race to finish seventh at Barber Motorsports Park. Sato took advantage of his talent racing in the wet on Sunday, when the race started in progressively heavier rain before it was suspended on the 23rd lap. Sato gained 10 positions before the race was red-flagged the first day and wound up holding eighth place when it ended after 82 laps on Monday.
Starting the race in 15th in the No. 15 Mi-Jack Honda, Rahal was still in 13th when it resumed Monday in dry conditions. The 29-year-old Ohioan slowly picked his way through the field, climbing to seventh place before making a pit stop on Lap 52.
The complexion of the race changed when the rain returned to the 2.3-mile permanent road course about 15 laps later. It left everyone scrambling to decide the right time to change to Firestone’s rain tires. That moment came for Rahal on Lap 74 and he moved back to seventh once everyone made their stops for wet-condition tires as well.
Through the first four races of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season, Rahal has yet to finish outside the top 10. He’s fourth in the standings, 39 points behind leader and Barber race winner Josef Newgarden.
“For sure, it was a good weekend and a good finish to the weekend for us,” Rahal said. “The guys worked hard and Takuma was great to me in the race. I was quicker than him in the dry, so I just appreciated him not making my life miserable, got a good run on him and hit overtake and he just didn’t challenge me (on Lap 58), which is appreciated. We had a good run today.
“In the rain, we were struggling there with a little bit of some understeer. Takuma was quick (in the rain), obviously. I’ll take it. … In general, a pretty good points day for us to keep moving forward, stay (fourth) in points and chug on to Indy.”
Sato’s run in the No. 30 Mi-Jack/Panasonic Honda came from farther back than his teammate, since he qualified 18th. After making his move in the wet on Sunday, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion maintained his track position throughout Monday’s completion to score his first top-10 of the season.
“It was a little bit scary and dangerous going down the straights in (Sunday’s) race, with the spray,” Sato said. “(Monday) was more fun in the rain, but really screwed my strategy because I was going to make a one-stop strategy, working on fuel (mileage) almost perfect. But then as the rain came, I had to stop again and almost gave the all the free positions back.
“I think we came back strong and it was at least a better end considering where we struggled in the qualifying. So that’s a good weekend.”
The start to the season is the best for Rahal in his 12-year Indy car career. “Yeah, by far,” he said.
“I look at here and I look at Long Beach, two races that (we) shot ourselves in the foot. We scrambled to have a good finish, so those are two races where champions are made. Hopefully, that comes true in the end.”
The Verizon IndyCar Series turns full attention to Indianapolis Motor Speedway now. An open test for series regulars takes place April 30 on the 2.5-mile oval, with the following day set aside for Indianapolis 500 rookie orientation and refresher track time for veterans who have been out of an Indy car for a while. Among those scheduled to participate in the May 1 testing is Danica Patrick, who is making the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on May 27 the last race of her career.
The testing on April 30 and May 1 will be streamed live on IndyCar.com. A third day of manufacturer testing on the IMS oval, on May 2, will not be streamed. Fans may attend any of the three days of testing for free. Viewing locations are at the IMS Museum parking lot, the South Terrace grandstands and the Turn 2 viewing mounds.
The next Verizon IndyCar Series race is the INDYCAR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 12 (3:30 p.m., ABC and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network). Practice and qualifying for the race on the IMS road course takes place on Friday, May 11.
Indianapolis 500 practice begins Tuesday, May 15 and continues daily through Friday, May 18. Qualifications to determine the 33-car field are set for Saturday, May 19. A second day of qualifying to determine the Verizon P1 Award pole winner and the starting grid order will be held Sunday, May 20. “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” airs live on Sunday, May 27 (11 a.m. ET, ABC and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network).