IndyCar - Rahal Race Preview

St. Pete, Mar. 20, 2012: Team Manager John Cummiskey on St. Pete: “First race of the year, we’re looking forward to getting going after the winter and excited with the new engine and the new Honda car and see how our testing has paid off. Personally, I’m really excited for the little things because there’s going to be a lot of changes and there are going to be lot different. The first race is going to be pretty competitive.”

There’s an App for that: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) and SapientNitro SM recently launched one of the first mobile applications for the high-velocity world of racing. This new application brings fans updated driver and event information, and exclusive content in one centralized and expansive mobile experience, bringing to life the rich heritage and legendary success of CGRT. The unique mobile application conveys the high-octane rush of the racing experience for a team that competes at the highest levels in three series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), IZOD IndyCar Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

Racking Them Up: Team owner Chip Ganassi and CGRT had another monumental season in 2011 by increasing their number of Championships to 14. TELMEX drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas earned their third championship together in the GRAND-AM Series (2008, 2010, 2011) and the fifth GRAND-AM championship for CGRT (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011). Teammate Franchitti earned his third consecutive championship for Team Target in the IZOD IndyCar Series. It marked Ganassi’s ninth championship (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) and Franchitti’s fourth (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) in Indy car racing.

Hall-of-Famer: Ganassi joined a list of motorsports elite as a finalist for the 2012 Class for the Motorsports Hall of Fame. Other finalists included veteran driver and official, Wally Dallenbach, American auto racing owner Carl Haas and two-time Indianapolis 500 Winner Arie Luyendyk. Other names considered by the Voting Panel were Pat Patrick who served as the first president of CART, 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan and two-time CART Champion Zanardi.

Most Influential: Complex Magazine recently announced Ganassi as one of the “50 Most Influential People in the Auto Industry.” Ganassi’s history-making 2011 season aided in securing a rank of 17th on Complex Magazine’s automotive industry list. “If a single race team manages to win the Daytona 500, Indy 500, Brickyard 400, and 24 Hours of Daytona in one year, it means that a rare alignment of just about everything has happened. Racing history is being made, and these sorts of teams' influence tend to trickle down and subtly shape the entire industry,” said Complex Magazine of Ganassi.

Graham Rahal and the No. 38 Service Central Team

Follow Graham on Twitter: Follow @grahamrahal for updates as the driver of the No. 38 Service Central Honda completes his second season with Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Finishing Strong: Rahal started in the top five in the final three races of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar season. He hopes to continue that momentum at the Streets of St. Petersburg.

Sebring Open Test Recap: Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing and Rahal completed their two-day Open Test, March 8-9 at Sebring International Raceway, finishing 11th out of 27 cars in combined results. Rahal completed 136 laps with the best time of 52.469 seconds on the 1.65-mile road course.

Comfortable at St. Pete: In 2008, Rahal drove to victory lane at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Pete for the first time and became the youngest driver to win a race in INDYCAR history. This race marks Rahal’s sixth start at the Streets of St. Petersburg.

Rahal on St. Pete: “I’m extremely excited to race again, and start our year in St. Petersburg. It’s a place that will always hold a special place in my heart with my first win and pole coming there, and to me there’s no better place to start our year. I feel very confident that our team at Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing is ready to go, and we’re all looking forward to getting back on track and in the swing of it all.”

In the Points: Rahal finished ninth in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings for the 2011 season, 253 points behind overall leader Dario Franchitti.

Graham Rahal Appears on Super Bowl Pre-game show: Rahal and his No.38 Service Central Honda Dallara were featured during the recent Super Bowl XLVI pre-game show on ESPN. Rahal was featured in multiple segments, culminating with Graham on set in downtown Indianapolis with ESPN Host Chris Berman to make his prediction for the big game. His appearances tied in the fact that the City of Indianapolis is often known for racing, but was hosting the “Second Greatest Spectacle in Sports” at Lucas Oil Stadium. Rahal also correctly picked the NY Giants at the winner.

Rahal Appears in “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials”: Rahal made a cameo in “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials”, a show that aired on February 1 on CBS. His segment was filmed with celebrity fitness expert Jillian Michaels and Blue II, the Butler University mascot. The filming took place at the new Dallara Automobile facility on Main Street in Speedway, Ind. and showcased the IZOD IndyCar Series and the city of Indianapolis, which was the host to the NFL Championship game.