Interview: Graham Rahal On Pocono, Texas And The Future

Graham Rahal doesn’t slow down, and he always shoots straight. The IndyCar contender spoke with Beyond the Flag on Pocono, Texas and what he thinks of IndyCar’s up and coming drivers.

Not only does Graham Rahal drive hard on track, but he’s a strong spokesman for the Verizon IndyCar Series. He knows about the league, cares about its long-term future and isn’t afraid to give his educated opinion.

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So what does he think about the end of season craziness? Beyond The Flag asked Graham about this weekend’s race at Pocono, going back to Texas and more when we connected with him this week.

Having been racing since Mar. 13, he acknowledged that a six-month season can be a grind but he’s not letting that stop him. “I feel pretty good but for sure this season has taken its toll on all of us,” he told us. “We have been allowed to do a lot of in-season testing as well, so it hasn’t just been the race weekends wearing everyone down.

“I do feel fresh and ready for the last four [races], though, and I am excited to get to Pocono and get going.”

Graham will be looking to make a statement in the 2016 ABC Supply 500, a race that’s given him and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team some headaches in the past. But they don’t call it “The Tricky Triangle” for nothing, as he explained.

“It’s difficult because the three corners are so different and unique. Chassis setup is key,” he said. “Last year we were looking pretty good before everything went wrong and we had a fueling issue that sent us to the back. We will need to be on our game this weekend, but I think my guys are up to the challenge.”

When Graham is on he’s as competitive as anyone else in IndyCar. He keeps the pressure on until the very end. Just ask Simon Pagenaud, who had to fend him off during this fantastic battle at Road America:

But Graham and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan squad have a unique scheduling challenge ahead of them after Pocono. They’ll have to leave Pennsylvania and head to Texas, so that they can finish the Firestone 600 in Fort Worth just six days after the ABC Supply 500. How does that scheduling kink affect the race teams?

“It’s strange,” he conceded. “I do think it will be a weird way to go. Not only starting on lap 70 or so, but just not having much practice or anything to get used to the track again and get yourself into that mindset. Having said that, I felt good about our car when we were there in June and I hope we can improve it slightly and look good for the race.”

One of the things Graham doesn’t get enough credit for is his investment in the future of IndyCar. He does his best to not only market himself and his team, but raise the profile of the series and speak up when there’s something worth talking about. He’s an ambassador for IndyCar and that includes recent testing at Watkins Glen, where he shared seat time in the No. 15 with Ed Jones for the second straight year.

Of course, at 27 he still has his own lengthy racing career ahead of him. So how does it feel to be working with next generation drivers when he’s still considered a young gun himself?

“I love helping as much as I can,” Graham said, “and Ed is a guy that is definitely in line to be racing in IndyCar someday soon. He is a great guy and has a lot of talent. I am looking forward to seeing how he progresses and hope we can see him in our car again soon.”

What does he think of IndyCar’s current crop of rookies – including Alexander Rossi, Conor Daly and his former Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammate Spencer Pigot – who’ve shown up on the scene making plenty of waves this season?

“The rookies are looking good. Obviously Rossi winning Indy wasn’t bad,” he commented, “but I think in general they are all figuring out just how competitive and difficult IndyCar is these days. It’s top tier, and by far the most competitive form of motorsports right now.

“I think we are doing a pretty good job of [attracting talent],” he added, “but we will all continue to work hard to grow IndyCar and make it better and better.”

That sentence could easily be used to describe him as well. While his own profile has continued to rise, Graham never rests. He’s always looking to improve and even as he’s still within the Top 10 in the standings he’s constantly on the attack.

What has been his biggest takeaway from the 2016 season?

“Ride the wave,” Graham concluded. “Last year everything came easy, this year it’s been much harder, but all in all our results are similar. You have to ride it out, and keep your head down and work very hard. If you do that, we will be looking really good.”