Indy 500: 3 possible replacements for Stefan Wilson

Possible Stefan Wilson Indy 500 replacements: No. 3 – Graham Rahal

This is the scenario that popped into everyone’s mind as soon as Stefan Wilson was ruled out. Graham Rahal is the one and only driver on the entry list for this year’s Indy 500 who is not set to compete in the race, having been bumped out by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Jack Harvey as the clock expired in the Bump Day/Last Chance qualifying session on Sunday.

Could a 16th consecutive Indy 500 start be in the cards for him after all? Don’t think for one second that it hasn’t been brought up or at least explored. But there are a few reasons why this possibility is far less of a possibility than the first two.

First of all, Rahal has been clear that he didn’t earn his way into this year’s Indy 500 and had no desire to move into somebody else’s ride. While this is an extenuating circumstance, and technically nobody not named Wilson has earned their way into the No. 24 Chevrolet either, it’s hard to see his stance changing.

Secondly, Honda’s longest tenured driver running the biggest race in the world for Chevrolet after failing to get in with Honda just seems too far-fetched to come to fruition, especially with two drivers closely associated with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Chevrolet available.

And finally, while you can’t place full blame on Katherine Legge for the incident, given that it was a chain reaction, it would certainly make a few individuals feel a certain type of a way if an accident involving a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car ultimately led to Rahal getting a shot because another team’s driver was taken to hospital on a stretcher.

But it’s not totally out of the question. If Bobby Rahal wants his son and his sponsors in the race, this is almost too perfect of an opportunity. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s other car, Ryan Hunter-Reay’s No. 23 Chevrolet, is totally unsponsored. Given the nature of the situation, why not work out a deal to have Wilson’s sponsors shift over to the No. 23 Chevrolet?

Don’t forget that Rahal is the only candidate who has any practice time under his belt so far this month as well. The final practice session before the race is scheduled for Friday, May 26 at 11:00 a.m. ET.

The 107th running of the Indy 500 is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 28. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don’t miss it!