Letterman hopes for Rahal magic
Graham Rahal’s
I NDIANAPOLIS first tangible recollection of Indianapolis Motor Speedway seemingly would center on his father, Bobby. Not the case.
“My earliest actual vivid memory was with (David) Letterman sitting in the suite, ’ 04 or ’05,” said Rahal, a 27-year-old IndyCar driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. “Dave would ask me every single car that went by, who drove it, who was the sponsor, the number, and I had it all memorized.”
Twenty years after Letterman joined the team as a partner, the retired late-night talk-show host says he still sees Rahal as that 11year-old. But to Letterman’s 12year-old son, Harry, Rahal has become an idol and the source of his interest in racing.
“All Harry cares about is Graham. Where’s Graham? How’s Graham? What’s Graham doing?” Letterman told USA TODAY Sports. “He doesn’t care about the car, he doesn’t care about the laps, doesn’t care about other guys. He just cares about Graham.
“I’m glad that he has that interest.”
Harry hasn’t attended an Indianapolis 500 since 2012, Letterman said, when RLL’s Takuma Sato challenged eventual winner Dario Franchitti in Turn 1 on the final lap. He might find the numerology project unfolding around the team interesting. His father certainly does.
Graham Rahal admits it’s a happenstance, but he’ll run with it. “It’s a coincidence, but it’s a cool one,” he said.
Bobby Rahal isn’t going to doubt it.
“Am I superstitious? Well, so far it seems to have worked, so why not?” he pondered.
David Letterman? He’s latched on it.
“Yeah. Wow,” he said. “I cling to these things, but I couldn’t get this one figured out. OK. That’s all I need.”
The Rahal family double has so far consisted of the son twice producing a career milestone on the 30th anniversary of the father doing so.
Bobby Rahal won the 1981 Rolex 24 sports car race. Graham Rahal did the same in 2011.
Bobby Rahal won for the first time at his home track of MidOhio Sports Car Course in 1985. Graham Rahal followed suit last season.
If Rahal completes the triple, well, that would probably still be a coincidence but an even happier one and a very big deal. This season marks the 30th anniversary of Bobby Rahal winning the Indianapolis 500.
“If I’m going to Vegas, I’m going to bet on it,” Bobby Rahal said. “Why not?”
Rahal has rounded into enough of a contender at Indianapolis to make continuing the pattern plausible. He finished a career-best third with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2011, but placing fifth last year as Honda struggled to keep up with Chevrolet might have been more impressive. Rahal qualified a disappointing 26th, but Honda Performance Development’s marked improvement this season offers encouragement. Things could bode well for Harry’s day at the track.
“I know one of Dave’s big things has been to try to get him to come to the races more,” Graham Rahal said. “So I’m excited to see him out here.”