Ever since Graham Rahal made history as the youngest driver to win a major auto race when the 19-year-old won the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, he has become the face of the “unified” IndyCar Series.
He has the famous last name of a winning driver of the Indianapolis 500. Although he wasn’t around when his father, Bobby, drove to victory in the 1986 Indy 500, he recalls the day when Buddy Rice drove his father’s car to victory in the 2004 500-Mile Race.
Young Rahal wasn’t at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that day because he was competing in a sports-car race at Lime Rock, Conn. He would one day race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but on the road course, not the famous 2.5-mile oval that has been in operation since 1909.

“The speed at which the walls come up on you is unlike any other place. It’s a one-lane race track, which we’re not used to in this series. It is tough to be pushing it hard but not over the limit. It’s a tough place. There is a lot of learning left.”

— Graham Rahal

Rahal, who finished second in the 2006 Liberty Challenge Indy Pro Series race as part of the United States Grand Prix weekend, had never raced on an oval until the April 27 IndyCar Series race at Kansas Speedway.
On Sunday, he got his first experience at the most famous oval in the world as the rookie prepared for his first Indy 500.
“It’s tough; it’s fast,” Rahal said. “The speed at which the walls come up on you is unlike any other place. It’s a one-lane race track, which we’re not used to in this series. It is tough to be pushing it hard but not over the limit. It’s a tough place. There is a lot of learning left.”
Rahal was one of 13 new drivers that participated in Sunday’s Rookie Orientation Program for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 May 25. He hit the track shortly after 1 p.m., passed all four phases of ROP by 2:14 p.m. and was allowed to practice at any speed.
He completed 51 laps with a fast lap of 218.619 miles per hour.
“The car was good and I felt confident out there,” young Rahal said. “It’s day one of a lot of days here at the track. I don’t think it has hit me yet. It’s going to take some time. It’s cool to be here as a participant, it’s cool to see all the fans, but I still have a ways to go.
“I think it is important to have ROP. If somebody doesn’t pass it, they shouldn’t be allowed to race. This is a daunting place and it’s important that they do stuff like this.”
Rahal was among the most popular drivers at the Speedway during Sunday’s Opening Day. He’s young, talented and an American IndyCar driver which stands out in a series that has increasingly become international in its makeup.
The Indianapolis 500 remains the most famous race in the world because it is uniquely American, run on Memorial Day Weekend and draped in red-white-and-blue. But while NASCAR has become the most popular racing series in the United States, the Indy 500 continues to stand out as an event of historical proportions, giving IndyCar the month of May to emerge on the motorsports landscape.
For a young driver like Rahal to emerge in this race would give another fresh face to a series that continues to enjoy its positive vibe since taking over Champ Car and becoming a unified IndyCar Series Feb. 22.
That took the politics out of the sport, and fans and the media can once again concentrate on the racing and the stars that drive the cars.
Rahal is a perfect fit for that role as he is young and fearless at a track where bravery is a necessary requirement.
 “That doesn’t worry me so much,” Rahal said. “You know you can go around here flat so you have to stick to it and do it. You do see the wall but you focus on the track; that’s the biggest thing.
“Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous at all. I think if you get yourself worked up about it you get really nervous. Then you make errors and mistakes, which can lead to a crash. It’s a big weight off our shoulders to finish ROP and now we can get down to work and get on with the month, and that’s the biggest thing.”
Now, Rahal can focus on joining his father as a driver who has competed in the Indy 500. The name has helped him throughout his career, but Graham Rahal will actually be racing against his father’s team, which includes Indy 500 rookie drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alex Lloyd.
“It’s pretty cool, but I need to get my name on that BorgWarner Trophy,” Rahal said. “That’s the first thing. With my father, he has had success. No matter what my dad won, he won three CART championships, but you never hear about that, you hear about he’s an Indy 500 champion.”
Another name Graham Rahal should focus on is Troy Ruttman, the youngest winner in Indy 500 history who won the 1952 Indy 500 when he was just 22.
“That means I have three years to try and break that record,” Rahal said.