Rahal meets the wall

[dando]

Welcome to the IRL, Graham.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/autos/stories/2008/03/26/rahal.html?sid=101


Rahal, whose Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team is making the hurried transition from Champ Car to the IRL, lost control in turn one of the 1.5-mile oval as he passed the slower-moving car of Oriol Servia. Rahal careened into the SAFER Barrier on the outside wall.

"I was on a higher line than I had been taking, and that was a lot bumpier with a little less grip," Rahal, 19, said. "The rear stepped out on me and I caught it, and then it did it a second time and I couldn't catch it and crashed."

According to reports, there was considerable damage to the rear of the car.

-Kevin

[cameraman]

Just what a team that is complaining of a parts shortage needs...

[pitwall3]

Some pictures from another site. Looks pretty badly banged up.


http://i27.tinypic.com/1zmnt09.jpg
http://i26.tinypic.com/bdtmw7.jpg

[Gnam]

Did the impact leave a hole in the wall? ;)

[SurfaceUnits]

Did the impact leave a hole in the wall? ;)

it put a dent in someone's pocket

[Chiphead_Dave]

Lucky he is young or he would be out for the season:shakehead

[Racing Truth]

Lucky he is young or he would be out for the season:shakehead

Well, he IS out for this weekend.


NEWMAN/HAAS/LANIGAN RACING FORCED TO WITHDRAW ENTRY FOR GRAHAM RAHAL FOR THE INDYCAR SERIES SEASON OPENING GAINSCO AUTO INSURANCE INDY 300

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (March 27, 2008) --- Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing are disappointed to announce today that they were forced to withdraw their entry for the No. 06 Dallara/Honda/Firestone race car to be driven by Graham Rahal at this Saturday's Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The car sustained extensive damage when Rahal crashed here on Tuesday night during the final day of a two-day test for teams transitioning over from the Champ Car World Series.

In spite of the best efforts of the IndyCar Series and series suppliers, the team was unable to overcome the shortage of some key parts and the time needed to prepare for Friday's first practice. The team is now focused on rebuilding the crashed car for a test at Sebring International Raceway on Tuesday, April 1 and the Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, April 4-6.

"It's disappointing that we're not going to be racing in the season-opener and I feel bad about it,” said Rahal, 19. "It will be tough not to be out there but at the same time we need to take it slowly and not rush putting the car back together. Even if we had everything available, there aren't enough hours before the first practice on Friday to get the car put back together.
The guys have worked awfully hard to be in the position to run here and it's not the time to pull all-nighters. At this point we are going to focus on the St. Pete race. I'm just going experience this weekend from a different perspective and pay attention to what is going on with Justin. I'll probably watch some of the race from the Spotters Stand to get another perspective. We'll have to start all over for the race in Kansas which will now be my first
oval race."

-NHLR-

NOTE: During Nigel Mansell's rookie season for Newman/Haas Racing in 1993 he also missed his first scheduled oval race for the team after he crashed in the Friday morning practice session of the three-day event. He was not cleared to drive by the medical staff due to being temporarily unconscious. Mansell, the then-reigning Formula One champion, went on to win the championship. In the 16-race season, there were six races on oval tracks and 10 on road or
street courses.

EDIT: SPEED link (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-graham-rahal-withdrawn-from-homestead/)

[Don Quixote]

Helleva way to run a railroad. :shakehead

[SurfaceUnits]

NOTE: During Nigel Mansell's rookie season for Newman/Haas Racing in 1993 he also missed his first scheduled oval race for the team after he crashed in the Friday morning practice session of the three-day event. [/URL]I know Nigel Mansell, and no Rahal comes close:shakehead

[extramundane]

I've a sneaking suspicion this won't be the only car that doesn't make it to the start of the race.

I guess this means that Rahal is not only no Mansell, he's no Roth either. :tony:

[SurfaceUnits]

The driver lineup isn't the only thing being condensed. :laugh:


That's what we have done is we have condensed it pretty much into one day of activities. Obviously we have the qualifying and practice on Friday but all of the racing and the big activities culminating with the race under the lights. It doesn't get much more exciting than that.

From three day festivals of speed to one day of crap. Thank you open wheel people. you deserve total decimation.

[G.]

Not spare parts, spare Yen.


NHLR was one of the first Champ Car teams to commit to switching open-wheel formulas, yet the transition has gone anything but smoothly for one of the most experienced and successful teams in American open-wheel racing.

A dispute with Honda Performance Development over terms of the engine supply contract was a significant factor in NHLR missing the first IndyCar acclimatization test for Champ Car teams two weeks ago at Sebring International Raceway.

link is basically a preface for the earl race. Some of you may be disinclined to read it. (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3325748)

[pchall]

The same old crap. There should be "endo'd in the gravel" stories for a whole bunch of guys.

Screw everybody for having no memory or sense of context.

[pchall]

The same old crap. There should be "endo'd in the gravel" stories for a whole bunch of guys.

Screw every journo for having no memory or sense of context.