Forty-eight hours after being bumped out of a spot in the 107th Indianapolis 500 by teammate Jack Harvey, Graham Rahal will get to run the event after all. On Tuesday, Graham Rahal will race the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports/CareKeepers Chevrolet this Sunday, replacing Stefan Wilson after he suffered a back injury in Monday’s afternoon practice.
“I’ll admit it was a very tough weekend for me and the United Rentals/Fifth Third Bank/RLL team,” said Rahal. “We tried everything, and we just didn’t have the speed. I’m very sad that Stefan was injured in practice on Monday. I wish him a quick recovery. I want to thank Dennis and Don for giving me this opportunity in the No. 24 car. I’m anxious to work with the team and prepare for the greatest race in the world, the Indianapolis 500.”
This season, Rahal is 15th in the point standings with two top-ten finishes at St. Petersburg and the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is Rahal’s 16th season in IndyCar with three poles, six wins, 28 top-three, and 66 top-five finishes. He finished in third place twice (2011 & 2020) and a fifth-place finish (2015) in his sixteen years of running the Indianapolis 500.
The team is currently preparing the backup Dallara chassis for Rahal and Graham is scheduled to drive the No. 24 this Friday in the two-hour practice session as part of the famed “Carb Day” activities. Rahal will team up with former Andretti driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, who starts 23rd for his Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
“First and foremost, the only thing that matters is that Stefan is doing well considering the circumstances,” said Don Cusick, Founder & CEO of Cusick Motorsports. “We are completely gutted for Stefan and now will miss his favorite racing event, the legendary Indy 500. We wouldn’t be here without him, and we are committed to supporting him every step on the way to recovery and beyond. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and our partners have been nothing but supportive and I couldn’t be more thankful. I am happy that we could fill the seat of the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports/CareKeepers Chevy with a quality replacement in Graham Rahal. Graham knows the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval very well and we wish him the best this Sunday in the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Rahal is the son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing released a statement on Graham Rahal competing in the Indy 500.
“First, I feel bad for Stefan that he is hurt. I’m sure he was very excited after qualifying for the race and had done a great job all month,” said Bobby Rahal in a statement. “It’s a real shame that this happened. I wish him the best and hope he has a speedy recovery. I’m sure we will see him again.”
Rahal added, “I have to say this came out of the blue. I’ve known Dennis for years personally. The fact that everyone pulled together to make this happen for Dennis, and also Graham, makes us very thankful.”
The 107 Indianapolis 500 airs on Sunday at 11 am on NBC. Subscribe to Fubo to watch all of the 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season. Purchase tickets for all IndyCar races today on StubHub and Viagogo.
