Graham Rahal returned to Champ Car World Series racing in Portland this weekend after a break of six weeks, finishing ninth at the end of the 103 lap race, the fourth round of the championship.
The first two days of practice and qualifying featured diverse weather, with the first dry and the second wet. Rahal finished eighth quickest in the dry and improved his performance in the wet to claim second fastest lap. However, with overall lap times of the two days determining grid positions, the 18-year-old racer lined up in eighth place for the start of today’s race.
Portland saw the return of standing starts in Champ Cars and although Rahal has experience of these today’s move off the grid was not as quick as he had hoped, losing him two positions on the first lap. Rahal took little time to regain position though, and by lap six, he was back up to eighth.
Inn the first segment of the race, fuel conservation was the focus for Newman/Haas/Lanigan with Rahal and team mate, Sebastien Bourdais being the last two cars to pit for their first refuel and tyre change stop. Returning to the track Rahal was quickly up to speed, turning fastest laps of the field as he pushed to improve his position. Running on the softer red walled tyres Rahal was closing on seventh placed driver Dan Clarke, however with Portland offering limited overtaking opportunities, he opted to conserve fuel as the laps counted down to a second pit stop for fuel and new tyres. After completing 52 laps he made his second of three stops, with an earlier stop giving him a clear track. Closing up on Clarke Rahal attempted a pass on him but with Clarke moving across to defend his position he was forced to put two wheels on the grass, losing momentum and dropping back. Undaunted, he continued to push hard to take Clarke, but in his determination Rahal slid wide on to the grass losing a position in the process, to lie ninth as the Portland event wound down to the last 30 minutes of racing.
Pitting from this position the Newman/Haas/Lanigan crew gave Rahal his third perfectly executed stop and he continued into the closing stages of the race. Although one of the quickest cars on the track Rahal was unable to capitalise on his pace and brought the Medi I Zone entry home in ninth place at the chequered flag.
“Congratulations to Sebastien on taking the team’s 100th victory, ” said Rahal after the Portland race, “and my thanks to the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Medi I Zone crew who gave me faultless stops and a good car. I just wasn’t able to make the most of it today, so it was a bit disappointing. We turned third fastest lap which shows that we had the pace, but just couldn’t use it to our advantage. The start was difficult for me; I had a bad start anyway. Apart from that the race was going well but once we caught up to ‘stupid Dan, ’ which is what I’m going to call him from now on, he just drove me off the road and that was that. It was just a tough day and I’m happy it’s over. We just need to make sure we start up front where we belong. We missed it this weekend but toward the end we started to get it. Unfortunately it was too much, too late. We’ll get better. ”
Rahal lies second in the Rookie of the Year standings behind Robert Doornbos, a former Formula One driver, and eighth in the overall drivers standings after four rounds of the Series. With his Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team, Rahal returns to Champ Car competition in two weeks time for his home state event, the Cleveland Grand Prix, held at Burke Lakefront airport on a temporary street circuit at the venue. The weekend between the two races Rahal will visit the Formula One US Grand Prix in Indy to watch the action from this motor racing series.
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