I want to hire the Grahamboni: Rahal to sub for Conway
by Tony Johns on Jun 9, 2010 11:54 PM EDT
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Graham Rahal didn't stay rideless long.
The young American driver and "journeyman of the year" will be announced officially within hours as the replacement driver for Mike Conway's #24 Dallara at Dreyer and Reinbold Racing. Rahal's deal currently is for the upcoming IZOD IndyCar Series events at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 and reportedly the Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen.
Conway, injured at Indianapolis in a wicked shunt into the catchfence after contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay, is out for a minimum of three months and may miss the rest of the season. Tomas Scheckter stepped in for Conway at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend.
Rahal's most recent race was at the same Indy 500 in which Conway was injured. Driving for his father Bobby, Rahal started seventh and finished twelfth. Prior to that, he contested three races with Sarah Fisher Racing with a best finish of ninth at St. Petersburg, Florida.
The 21-year-old Rahal has been considered IndyCar's brightest young American star ever since he won his debut race in the series at St. Petersburg two years ago. Last season, he had two poles as well as five top-five and eight top-ten finishes and finished seventh in points. However, because of a sagging economy and sponsorship woes at his former team, Newman-Haas Racing, Rahal has been forced to go ride-hunting for most of the season.
"Most guys, if they had a year like I did last year in any other sport, in basketball or football, all they'd be worried about is how much they're going to make, not if they're going to play," Rahal told the Indianapolis Star earlier this season.
Rahal does not yet have a deal for the rest of the season but presumably DRR is working feverishly to put together a package for the second-generation phenom.
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Rahal to D&R? Good!
Even if it only ends up being for just one race, that’s good! A former race winner (St. Petersburg) with as much talent “upside” as Rahal should have a ride. It’s practically criminal that McDonalds pulled their sponsorship and left him on the street. That guy is in Paul Tracy’s situation: Too talented to not be racing. The difference is, Rahal is at the beginning of his career.
I hope a sponsor steps up and gets the guy money for a full time ride. It’s just insane that he’s sitting most races. This run with Dreyer and Reinbold is a good thing, even if it’s only temporary.
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"How can a pickup truck contain enough mass to unfold into a towering machine? I say if Ringling Brothers can get 15 clowns into a Volkswagen, anything is possible."
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