Being in the series since 2008, Graham Rahal is one of the staples on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES grid. With six wins and being the son of three-time champion Bobby Rahal, the Ohio-born driver is well-versed in what it takes to see success in the premier open-wheel series. But one win has evaded Rahal: the coveted Indianapolis 500.
2026 will mark Rahal’s 19th time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He recognises that he might never win, as is the way at the iconic event. Despite that, each year he prepares and gives it everything he has. And that is no different this year. Ahead of the Sonsio Grand Prix, The Girls Who – Motorsport was able to catch up with him and discuss his preparations for the famed month of May.
The Impact of a Condensed Race Weekend
Before Rahal and the rest of the grid can tackle the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500, they face the IMS Road Course. This weekend is the Sonsio Grand Prix, an important race to build momentum in May. The weekend differs slightly from a regular NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend, however, with all sessions happening over two days instead of three.
We asked Rahal how the reduced schedule affects the preparations for the race. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver admitted that “it’s the same amount of running, but it’s so condensed that it is a lot.” Although drivers complete the same number of sessions, Rahal mentioned that coming into the weekend on the back foot makes it difficult. “The time in between is very tight. So to react and make big changes is quite hard.” Rahal explained.
Rahal’s Preference
Whilst he admitted that a two-day race weekend can have its problems, on a “personal level, I quite like it”, Rahal shared. Being a road course that sees few changes year to year, the IMS Road Course is relatively predictable. The No. 15 driver noted that “most teams know what to expect” when they arrive at the track. That knowledge helps prepare ahead of the race weekend to make the most of the condensed time.
Rahal finds that the short weekend works well and even suggested he would be a fan of more two-day weekends. “What I don’t really love is like Fridays on normal weekends, where we don’t do anything until 3:00 in the afternoon.” As a born racer, he wants to be on track, in a car. Consequently, he enjoys the fast-paced, down-to-business feeling that the upcoming weekend brings.
The Importance of the Open Test
Last week, the month of May unofficially kicked off with the Indianapolis 500 Open Test. Two days of track time for teams to test their cars and ensure they are ready for the event. For RLL Racing, their focus for the test was to “validate some of the changes we made”. With the aim of evaluating their car, top speeds weren’t being chased. And although Rahal didn’t complete any qualifying simulations, he ended the test with the fastest average speed of 222.630mph.
Although he has plenty of experience at the IMS, Rahal repeated the importance of this test for the preparations. Over the two days this year, the team learned that their new car is an improvement on what they’ve had in recent years. RLL Racing may not know how they truly compare; Rahal reiterated it was “an important test”.
Leaving the test and coming into the month of May, Rahal is confident that they have improved. Not all of their changes worked, but many did. With a better car under him and confidence from the test, Rahal is “excited for what’s to come”.