Graham Rahal

Graham Rahal ( born January 4, 1989 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American race car driver. His father is the racer Bobby Rahal. In 2006 he became vice-champion of the Atlantic Championship. He drives in the IndyCar Series since 2008. Since 2013 he starts for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Career

Rahal began his motorsport career in karting in 2000, where he was active until 2003. In 2004 he moved to Formula racing and finished seventh in the U.S. Formula BMW. In 2005 he raced in the Star Mazda Series. With a win, he finished the season in fourth place overall. In winter 2005/2006 Rahal denied six A1GP race for the Lebanese team. Although he has the American citizen, he was, as he has Lebanese ancestry, competing in the A1GP for Lebanon. Rahals main focus in 2006 was, however, on the Atlantic Championship, in which he scored five wins for Conquest Racing starting the runner-up title behind Simon Pagenaud. He also competed in each case a race of the American Le Mans Series ( ALMS) and in the Indy Lights.

After a start in the Grand-Am Sports Car Series and A1GP two participations, joined Rahal in 2007 in the Champ Car series and was at Newman / Haas / Lanigan Racing team-mate of reigning champion Sébastien Bourdais. In his third race in Houston he was in second for the first time on the podium, becoming the youngest driver in the Champ Car history, who finished a race on the podium. In the rest of the season was followed by three more podium finishes. A victory was denied him, however. As the second- best rookie, he finished the season in fifth place overall. His team-mate Bourdais defended the championship. In addition, Rahal started two races of the ALMS and reached there in the GT2 a podium place.

2008 Rahal was originally intended to compete in the Champ Car along with former Formula 1 racing driver Justin Wilson for Newman / Haas / Lanigan Racing. However, the series merged before the season starts with the IndyCar Series and the team went with two pilots in the reunified Championship at the start. Due to a training accident in Homestead, however he made his debut at the first race of the season. Rahal made ​​his debut in St. Petersburg and therefore chose this race for himself. He is the youngest racer who won a large American single-seater racing. He also became the fourth pilot who decided to create his IndyCar debut in itself. Later in the season, however, he no longer followed up on the initial success and finished just four more races in the top ten racers. At the end of the season, he finished 17th overall. 2009 remained Rahal at Newman / Haas / Lanigan Racing. Rahal was after Wilson had left the team, become a team-internal number one and sat down this season against Robert Doornbos and Oriol Servia, who were successively his teammates through. With two third places for best results, he finished at the end of the season in seventh place in the championship.

After Newman / Haas / Lanigan Racing had lost their sponsor McDonald's, Rahal was for the 2010 season, initially without the cockpit. After the first race, he was obliged by Sarah Fisher Racing for the second and third races of the season. Originally wanted to participate in this race team owner Sarah Fisher himself, but she decided only to walk into the oval racing and Rahal to leave the cockpit for the two races. Since Rahal convinced in these two races, he was still allowed to drive another race afterwards. For the Indianapolis 500 Rahal got a cockpit at his father's team, Rahal Letterman Racing, which took only about this race. Another use for a race he had with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in Newton, where he represented the injured Mike Conway. He then announced his return to his former team, which is now Newman / Haas Racing was known. He started for the team in six of the last eight races of the season. For a race with him Newman / Haas Racing did not use, he returned to Sarah Fisher Racing. With a fifth place, which he achieved for Newman / Haas Racing, as the best result, he finished the season 20th overall.

After Rahal had been brought for the 2011 season with several teams in conjunction, he was commissioned in December 2010 by Chip Ganassi Racing contract. He went to a satellite team of the actual racing team. In the fourth race in São Paulo, he scored with a second place finish his first podium placement for his new team. A race later, the Indianapolis 500, followed with a third place a further placing on the podium. It was also his best result so far in this race. The season he finished with a total of three podium finishes in ninth place overall. In addition, Rahal decided in 2011 the 24 - hour race at Daytona along with his teammate Joey Hand, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas for themselves. 2012 remained Rahal at Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series. In the second race in Birmingham he reached the finish in fourth place. When Firestone 550 Rahal was about to win his second race in the IndyCar Series. However, he touched a few laps to the wall and finally came only in second place finish. He was at the end of the season in tenth place overall. Already in early August gave Rahal announced that he would leave Ganassi at the end of the season. The team was indeed interested in continuing employment, but have not had the budget for a more full-time season. Rahal was the end of 2009 Newman / Haas in a similar situation and in 2010 was without a full-time cockpit. In order not to be again without full-time crew can Rahal decided to leave the team to immediately enter into negotiations with other teams. In addition, Rahal took part once again in the 24 - hour race at Daytona.

For the 2013 season Rahal returned to his father's team, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, back. In the third race in Long Beach, he scored the second place. It remained his only podium placement. He finished five races in the top 10. He finished the season off on the 18th place overall. With 319 to 294 points he won against James Jakes. 2014 remained at the Rahal family team.

Statistics

Career stations

  • 2000-2003: Karting
  • 2004: American Formula BMW ( 7th place)
  • 2005: Star Mazda Series ( 4th place)
  • 2006: A1GP
  • 2006: Atlantic Championship ( 2nd place)
  • 2006: Indy Lights ( # 28 )
  • 2006: ALMS, GT2 ( # 26 )
  • 2007: A1GP
  • 2007: Champ Car ( 5th place)
  • 2007: ALMS, GT2 ( 22nd place)
  • 2007: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( place 82 )
  • 2008: IndyCar Series (No. 17)
  • 2008: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( place 50)
  • 2009: IndyCar Series (No. 7)
  • 2010: IndyCar Series (No. 20)
  • 2011: IndyCar Series (No. 9)
  • 2011: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( place 23 )
  • 2012: IndyCar Series (No. 10)
  • 2012: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( place 31 )
  • 2013: IndyCar Series (No. 18)
  • 2014: IndyCar Series

Individual results in the IndyCar Series

( Legend)

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