Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Barber Motorsports Park – OPEN TEST
Verizon IndyCar Series
TEST NOTES/QUOTES – March 16, 2014
RAHAL PLEASED WITH PROGRESS DURING DAY 1 OF THE INDYCAR PRE-SEASON OPEN TEST AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
1) Scott Dixon (Chevy) 1:07.4805 / 122.702 mph
6) Ryan Hunter-Reay (fastest Honda) 1:07.8494 / 122.035 mph
10) Graham Rahal (3rd fastest Honda) 1:07.9317 / 121.887 mph
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Mi-Jack Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Today was good. We got through a lot of things we wanted to test. It’s kind of frustrating not being the quickest Honda now that we have been a couple of times. I think we’re creeping up on this though. At the end of the day, on the theoreticals, we’re quickest so we need to put the lap together. I think one of the things we’re suffering with a little bit is the consistency of the car from one lap to the next and that’s what we’re going to have to work ontomorrow. We’re working through a lot, the guys are working extremely hard and I think things are looking pretty good.”
FAST FACTS: In the morning session, Rahal set the fastest time of Honda-powered drivers and was P8 overall with a lap time of 1:08.6550… Rahal, 26, will compete in his ninth season in a major open wheel series and his third full one with RLL. His highest series start is pole at St. Pete (2009; street) and Kansas (2009; oval) and his highest finish is a win in St. Pete (2008) in his IndyCar Series debut to make him the youngest winner in series history at 19 years, 93 days old… In 128 Indy car starts, Graham Rahal has earned 23 top-five finishes — including his 2008 win at St. Petersburg — 53 top-10’s, and led a total of 150 laps. In addition, he won poles at St. Petersburg (street course) and Kansas Speedway (oval) in 2009. Rahal cameclose to winning again in 2012 as he led the closing laps at Texas Motor Speedway before a slight brush of the wall with two laps to go forced him to settle for second place. He finished second again in Long Beach in 2013 and Detroit Dual 1 in 2014.
NEXT UP: The Open Test will resume tomorrow from 10-1 and 2-6 CT. Timing and Scoring information is available for all sessions from www.indycar.com.
