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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Rahal Almost Meets His Maker In Baltimore
“If that truck would have been another second behind," Graham Rahal told SPEED.com, "I’d have been underneath him and I’d probably be dead.”
Graham Rahal had the surprise of a lifetime in Turn 1. (LAT)
Before last Sunday’s inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, Graham Rahal told a VERSUS reporter he was surprised that pole-sitter Will Power was choosing the inside lane for the start because he felt like it gave him the advantage.
That proved to be prophetic as Rahal managed to pull ahead of Power on the outside and take the lead as they exited Turn 1.
But then Rahal got an unimaginable surprise that could have been deadly.
He damn near got hit head on by an INDYCAR safety truck.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw,’’ declared the 22-year-old second generation racer who dodged destruction when the truck dove into an opening just before striking the Service Central car.
“If that truck would have been another second behind, I’d have been underneath him and I’d probably be dead.”
The truck had been dispatched to move the tires in Turn 5 back away from the track after drivers had rightfully complained on the first pace lap.
For reasons only the driver knows, instead of pulling in safely between Turns 2-4, the driver decided to head for the opening in the track outside Turn 1.
“For some reason the truck didn’t go back to its expected location,’’ said Tony Cotman, who assists chief steward Brian Barnhart in Race Control. “We were all shocked when we saw it entering Turn 1.
“Somebody called in right as we went green that there was a safety truck on the track.”
Evidently there was a major miscommunication between the truck driver and Race Dispatcher (the person who calls for the green flag) but Rahal had enough time to think about the consequences.
“That truck was hauling ass, it was going as fast as a Honda Ridgeline could go,” he said. “I can’t even imagine what kind of impact it would have been.
“And here’s the crazy thing. When we took the green, I looked up and saw a safety truck on the track, backing into his spot in Turn 1 where (Tony) Kanaan had his big accident that morning.
“I didn’t lift but I was thinking that’s crazy and then I came around Turn 1 and saw a second truck coming at me and I thought: ‘You have got to be joking.’”
The finish was as frustrating as the start was frightening for Rahal. After running second all afternoon and being the only driver to keep Power in sight, Rahal got some bad pit strategy on his last stop and wound up 10th.
The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix will go down as an unforgettable event for Rahal, but with his near-death experience, it’s for all the wrong reasons.
Robin Miller brings 40 years of experience to his role as SPEED.com's senior open-wheel reporter, and serves as a frequent contributor to SPEED Center and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.
That proved to be prophetic as Rahal managed to pull ahead of Power on the outside and take the lead as they exited Turn 1.
But then Rahal got an unimaginable surprise that could have been deadly.
He damn near got hit head on by an INDYCAR safety truck.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw,’’ declared the 22-year-old second generation racer who dodged destruction when the truck dove into an opening just before striking the Service Central car.
“If that truck would have been another second behind, I’d have been underneath him and I’d probably be dead.”
The truck had been dispatched to move the tires in Turn 5 back away from the track after drivers had rightfully complained on the first pace lap.
For reasons only the driver knows, instead of pulling in safely between Turns 2-4, the driver decided to head for the opening in the track outside Turn 1.
“For some reason the truck didn’t go back to its expected location,’’ said Tony Cotman, who assists chief steward Brian Barnhart in Race Control. “We were all shocked when we saw it entering Turn 1.
“Somebody called in right as we went green that there was a safety truck on the track.”
Evidently there was a major miscommunication between the truck driver and Race Dispatcher (the person who calls for the green flag) but Rahal had enough time to think about the consequences.
“That truck was hauling ass, it was going as fast as a Honda Ridgeline could go,” he said. “I can’t even imagine what kind of impact it would have been.
“And here’s the crazy thing. When we took the green, I looked up and saw a safety truck on the track, backing into his spot in Turn 1 where (Tony) Kanaan had his big accident that morning.
“I didn’t lift but I was thinking that’s crazy and then I came around Turn 1 and saw a second truck coming at me and I thought: ‘You have got to be joking.’”
The finish was as frustrating as the start was frightening for Rahal. After running second all afternoon and being the only driver to keep Power in sight, Rahal got some bad pit strategy on his last stop and wound up 10th.
The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix will go down as an unforgettable event for Rahal, but with his near-death experience, it’s for all the wrong reasons.
Robin Miller brings 40 years of experience to his role as SPEED.com's senior open-wheel reporter, and serves as a frequent contributor to SPEED Center and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.
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