Beyond the Flag
Fansided

IndyCar Drivers Honor Their Dads For Father’s Day

ByAlex Herbst|
May 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Scott Dixon shakes hands with Takuma Sato before the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
May 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Scott Dixon shakes hands with Takuma Sato before the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

It’s Father’s Day weekend and though they aren’t racing, the drivers and teams of the Verizon IndyCar Series are still thanking their dads.

IndyCar has the weekend off, but the drivers are still taking the time to recognize their fathers for Father’s Day.

For many of the IndyCar stars their fathers were the first people to introduce them to racing, who put them in a go-kart, or even brought them to their first IRL or CART race. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan is one of many drivers who began his career with the support of his father.

Aside from supporting their sons, many of the dads of IndyCar drivers were racers themselves. Great men like Michael Andretti and Bobby Rahal remain an integral part of the sport today as team owners, with their sons continuing their legacy – usually at the family’s own organization.

Graham Rahal was a 2015 IndyCar championship contender driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Marco Andretti is a cornerstone of Andretti Autosport’s four-car effort.

Other drivers with fatherly ties to the sport include Dale Coyne Racing’s Conor Daly, the son of Derek Daly.

must read: Former NASCAR Driver and Daughter Attacked

So it’s no surprise that names throughout IndyCar took a moment this weekend to acknowledge fathers around the sport. Look below to check out Father’s Day wishes from Helio Castroneves, the Rahals and Andrettis, Charlie Kimball and many more.

Keep it right here all day as the holiday tributes come in on social media from around the IndyCar paddock. And from the entire team at Beyond the Flag, Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.

Share your Father’s Day wishes below in our comments section, and be sure to tune in next weekend for IndyCar’s return to Road America in the Kohler Grand Prix on June 26. See the race next weekend on NBCSN.