Rahal Becomes Youngest Pole Winner In Indycar Series History

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Saturday, April 4, 2009: If Graham Rahal could race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., every weekend, who knows how many records he could set. Last year, he became the youngest race winner in major open-wheel history when he took the checkered flag in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Saturday he became the youngest pole winner in series history when he survived the IndyCar Series’ three-round, knockout qualification format to win his first career pole in his return to the circuit.

He lapped the 14-turn, 1.8-mile course in 1 minute, 2.4110 seconds, 103.828 mph

At 20 years, 90 days, Rahal took the record from Marco Andretti, who won the pole last June at Milwaukee at the age of 21 years, 79 days.

Rahal survived the first two knockout rounds of PEAK Performance Pole Qualifying to advance to the Firestone Fast Six. The Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing driver entered the session with the third-quickest time and came out of the 10-minute shootout on top.

The qualifying session marked the first time that IndyCar Series teams have used Firestone’s new alternate tires. Known as “reds” because of their red sidewall, the tires have been introduced for the seven road/street course races on the 2009 schedule to offer improved grip at the expense of some durability. Teams have three sets to use at their discretion during practice, qualifying and the race with the stipulation that one unused set be used for at least two laps during the race. Rahal used alternates early during qualifying and then hung on as others used them late in the session.

“We didn't really know what to expect because we had the primary tires on there while a couple of guys had the alternates (in the Firestone Fast Six),” Rahal said. “The alternates were consistently faster today. I didn't really know what to think.

“It's an exciting day for me and a great day for the whole McDonald’s team. It's exciting to be here. I obviously love St. Pete. It was good to me last year, and it's great to be on the pole this year.”

Justin Wilson will start second next to Rahal on the front row. The Dale Coyne Racing driver turned in that team’s best ever qualifying effort.

Tony Kanaan and Ryan Briscoe will start in Row 2. Dario Franchitti, competing in his first IndyCar Series points event since winning the championship in 2007, qualified fifth. He will share Row 3 with Will Power.

Also on Saturday, rookie Junior Strous became the seventh driver to win his first Firestone Indy Lights race, taking the checkered flag in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Race 1 by .7205 of a second ahead of rookie Jonathan Summerton.

Strous started second and passed pole sitter J.R. Hildebrand on Lap 23 following a restart. Strous led the final 18 laps to take the win.

Hildebrand finished third, and Ana Beatriz finished fourth.

The 27 Firestone Indy Lights drivers also qualified for the second race of the weekend doubleheader. Strous will start second in that race. Sebastian Saavedra won the pole.

Defending race winner Graham Rahal has a large contingent of family and friends attending this weekend.

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 02 McDonald’s Racing Team): “I’ve got my mom here, my little sister, who never comes to the races, so that’s exciting. My dad is here for part of the weekend, my uncle, his side of the family, and my mom’s boyfriend Chris. They’ve been at Disney World the last couple of days, and now they’re headed over here. My uncle and my dad were here last year, but this year it worked perfectly with my sister’s spring break. My mom just enjoys coming to the races.”

HVM Racing is ready to lose a few spare tires. The team kicked off a two-month fitness challenge Friday at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with the goal to collectively lose 100 pounds – about the weight of a set of IndyCar Series tires – by the Indianapolis 500.

Huddled around a stack of tires representing the amount of weight they will aim to lose, the team gathered at the HVM transporter to hear the details of their challenge from Luigi Gratton, M.D., a member of Herbalife’s Nutrition Advisory Board. Dr. Gratton will work with the team over the course of the challenge to teach smart nutrition habits to help reach their goal.

“Being on a pit crew is no easy job,” said team owner Keith Wiggins. “The team members carry a lot of weight on the shoulders, often literally. And we want them to be at their best for every race.”

E.J. Viso, driver of the No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing entry, is a big believer in fitness and nutrition and wants his team members to enjoy the same benefits of eating right and keeping in good health. Viso, who is sponsored by Herbalife, introduced Dr. Gratton to the team and encouraged them to try the doctor’s advice.

In addition to setting the goal of dropping 100 pounds by the Indy 500, Dr. Gratton also challenged the team to lose a total of 300 pounds by the end of the racing season.

More than 28,000 laps have been logged and more than 50,000 miles recorded since Dreyer & Reinbold Racing burst onto the IndyCar Series scene with a victory in the 2000 season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway.

Robbie Buhl drove the No. 24 car to victory in that 2000 race and stepped out of the cockpit in 2004 to concentrate on full-time ownership with the team. With 78 starts (30 top-10 finishes, including two victories), he notes it was “a tough transition.”

Now Dreyer & Reinbold Racing reaches its 200th IndyCar Series race this weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

ROBBIE BUHL: “Ever since I was a kid I wanted to race cars. When I was a driver-owner, I was involved in different components of how we were growing this team. But at the end of the day my ultimate responsibility was driving that race car. It’s been a tough transition to learn how I enjoy not having the ultimate responsibility of not always driving and the success over here. Now, as an owner and playing that role without having any driving responsibility, my focus is spread amongst different things.”

DENNIS REINBOLD: “In some ways, it seems like it was just yesterday that it was our first race and we rolled out in Orlando after three weeks of preparing and scrambling to get onto the track. In other ways, it seems like it’s been quite awhile. You think of the people and the faces that have come and gone and changed in the sport in the past 10 years. Things are definitely different today in a much better way. This is a bigger business than when we first started.”

The National Guard is in its second full season as a sponsor of the Panther Racing car. Driver Dan Wheldon was delivered to the St. Petersburg racetrack courtesy of a Florida National Guard Black Hawk helicopter. He was joined for the ride by Staff Sgt. Alexandra Espinel, a Winter Park, Fla., native who is this weekend’s National Guard “Real Hero.”

At each IndyCar Seris event, Panther Racing selects one hero from each Guard unit located near the racetrack and places the soldier’s picture on the back of the team’s autograph cards to honor their service. Additionally, the team hosts local soldiers throughout every race weekend.

“It’s a proud moment representing the Florida National Guard,” said Espinel, who has received the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and the Florida Service Ribbon during her six years of service to the nation. “It’s just good to be a part of it and I’m looking forward to the race.”

E.J. Viso and HVM Racing entertained a group of at-risk students from Thomasville, Ga. The second-year IndyCar Series driver was providing play-by-play to the Bishop Hall Charter School group as mechanics worked on suspension changes.

“Every one of these students has had a challenge in their lives and would drop out of school if not for a school like ours,” said Dan Salveter, the school’s psychologist. “This is good for them to see the teamwork and preparation that goes on to succeed. We try to get that across to them -- if you plan to succeed and have a vision you can achieve it.

“Many of the kids have not been outside of southwest Georgia; maybe they’ve been to Atlanta. We’re trying to broaden their horizons -- to see there’s more out there than dropping out of high school, staying in Thomasville, Ga., and maybe working at Burger King.”

The group, which is camping nearby as it enjoys the school’s spring break, also visited with Firestone Indy Lights team owner Sam Schmidt, a quadriplegic who heads up the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation.