IndyCar Detroit GP Postscript
 |
| Rahal dominated in Detroit |
We've seen impressive drives before from Graham Rahal. One that comes to mind for me actually is not one of the 4 wins he recorded prior to this weekend, but a heat race at Iowa in 2013. I was standing in turn 1 on that muggy late-spring Iowa evening as young Rahal started the race 7th and immediately began picking off cars in front of him. The 50-lap heat ran caution free and ran a mere 15 minutes. However, by lap 46, Rahal had moved around Ed Carpenter for the lead and would go on to win the heat.
Another drive that comes to mind is the 2015 Indy GP, in which Rahal drove from 15th to finish 2nd, despite only one caution flag.
In essence, we’ve seen the son of three-time CART Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal drive through the field before to earn a strong result. As for what we saw in this weekend’s Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit presented by Lear, well, that was a whole different kettle of fish
Saturday morning, Rahal put the No. 15 SoldierStrong/TurnsForTroops.com Honda on pole before dominating that afternoon’s race leading 55 of the 70 laps and winning by over 6 seconds. Sunday, after qualifying third, Rahal would move ahead of pole sitter Takuma Sato on the first round of pit stops before then move to the lead when Josef Newgarden made his second stop on lap 30. From there, Rahal would lead 38 of the remaining 40 laps to sweep the weekend on Belle Isle.
Ultimately, no one had anything for Rahal on either day. No, the Ohio native asserted his will on the field, twice.
Now, it could be that this weekend’s domination by Rahal ultimately turns out to be a one-off of sorts. Perhaps, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing found an advantage specific to Belle Isle, lightning in a bottle so to speak, walked off with two wins.
On the other hand
[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]After years of struggling, Rahal has now won 5 of his last 31 IndyCar starts dating back to Fontana 2015. Could it be that Rahal’s long-awaited emergence is here, and that he is ready to become a badass regular winner and championship contender? After all, Rahal, perhaps more than anyone, possesses the charisma, marketing savvy and comfort in front of the camera to become the face of the series going forward. We know also he has something of a following regionally, as we saw at Mid-Ohio a few years ago.
Furthermore, one thing no one has ever accused Graham Rahal of is lacking a favorable view of Graham Rahal. We’ve seen over the years how very few, if well, anything, is ever Graham Rahal’s fault. And whether it’s tweeting pictures of his Ferraris or playing golf, followed by bewilderment at why people find him to be arrogant and full of himself, being relatable has never been a strength or priority of Rahal. No, Graham Rahal is racing royalty, who married racing royalty, and he lives life the way Graham Rahal wants, and isn’t at all bashful about telling you how great being Graham Rahal truly is. I say this not as a criticism (I would like to own a Ferrari and play as much golf as Graham).
Rather I say this (and again, this presumes Rahal becoming dominating race winner, something that is difficult in this era) because Rahal has the potential to be a polarizing figure, villainous if you will. We all know, villains drive people’s emotions. And it is people’s emotions that IndyCar needs to ultimately engage if the sport is to grow.
 |
| The Red Flag gave Newgarden a chance but he could not capitalize |
You also might note that it was Josef Newgarden, another charismatic American driver, who finished second Sunday. Think about this: Newgarden in the role of unassuming, wholesome All-American kid from Tennessee, who worked his way to the top through grit and determination, versus the cocky, child of racing royalty. This people, is exactly the kind of narrative IndyCar needs going forward.
And yes INDYCAR, I’m available to run your marketing department, and I know you’re reading. Do not at all feel any hesitation about inquiring.
Another Thing
I hear people say all the time that parity is an asset of IndyCar. I’ll admit, I’ve fallen prey to this thinking myself. However, a closer look at successful sports leagues (and this may be a bigger article in the coming weeks), actually indicates the notion of parity being good is a myth. Why are people watching the NBA Finals in droves? They are witnessing greatness with Golden State dominating. When were ratings highest for golf? When Tiger Woods was dominating. What is the most watched sports league in the world? The English Premier League, which has seen six champions in 23 seasons.
Domination: it might be good for a sport; and IndyCar might need more of it.
Marco
 |
| Marco Andretti is not getting the results, thereby tarnishing the Andretti name. He's close, but that Andretti greatness that father Michael and grandfather Mario head just isn't there |
In stark contrast to Rahal was the weekend of another driver with prodigious racing DNA. Marco Andretti finished a pedestrian 12th Saturday, followed by a 13th on Sunday; or in other words, turned in a typical Marco weekend.
I say that not as a cheap dig, but to expand upon a larger point. Now, in his 30s at the age most IndyCar drivers begin to hit their peak form, with 191 starts under his belt, and in his 12th IndyCar season, things are not getting better for a now not-so-young Andretti. Get this: since finishing third in the bizarre 2015 Fontana race, which ironically broke a 124-race winless streak for Rahal, Andretti has not recorded a top-5 finish. That's 30 races that have seen a total of 23 drivers by my count finish in the top-5 at least once. In fact, there are 11 drivers who have participated in all 30 of those races since Fontana 2015, with Andretti being the only one who hasn't finished on the podium. And remember, this is while driving for one of the series' top teams.
Plain and simple: more than a decade in, this arrangement seems to be doing more harm than good for all involved – most of all, Marco.
Remember, Marco Andretti has long seemed to carry the Andretti name as a burden. While this has been the case with other racing progeny, Marco is unique in that he is a third generation driver, with the expectation of both a monumentally successful father and iconic grandfather. Yes, if the last name was Marco Jones, and he was just a regular guy from Nazareth, PA, 12th and 13th in the Detroit Grand Prix might not be so bad. But for Marco Andretti every race that passes by with more and more pedestrian un-Andretti like results, frustration seems to only increase, as Marco’s radio communications and public comments would suggest. What we have at the moment is a driver absolutely devoid of confidence, always seemingly expecting things to go wrong.
Now, I don't know enough to tell you whether Marco is capable of greater achievements in a race car. It could be that well, he is just a mid-pack IndyCar driver capable of scoring the occasional strong result. On the other hand, I suppose it is conceivable that something hasn’t exactly clicked for Marco, and that the issues are more mental. He has after all, seemingly gotten worse as his career has progressed. Also, three years ago, I'd have told you Rahal, who is two years younger than Andretti, was a total wanker. Obviously, something during that time has clicked and Rahal has flourished. So, the notion that the same could happen with Marco isn’t farfetched.
That said, for years now driving an Indy car for Andretti Autosport seems to be only making matters worse. The only way I see for things to improve is for Marco to be removed from the current situation. Ideally, he would go to a situation, in which he can hone his race craft (I'm thinking Indy Lights or Formula 2), divorced from the pressure of earning top results for the team his family owns in the exact playground his monumentally successful father and grandfather combined to win 94 races. Granted, this might sound a little crazy, and certainly some pride would have to be swallowed by all involved.
But when you really think about, there isn’t really a decision. After all, the truly crazy thing would be to just carry on with business as usual.
Red flag
Look, given what I know, I am as cynical as anyone when it comes to decisions made by INDYCAR Race Control. And it certainly wasn't lost on me that Detroit promoter Roger Penske's Chevrolet (race sponsor) driven by Josef Newgarden was running second was the one who stood to benefit most from the red flag that came out with four laps remaining.
That said, INDYCAR 100% made the right call bringing out the red flag to assure a green flag run to the finish. While not exactly fair to Rahal, who had a five-second lead on Newgarden, racing is entertainment and paying customers want to see a green flag fight to the finish. While this isn't always a possibility, it was in this particular case. INDYCAR made the right call for the sake of the show to go red, get the track cleared, and allow the race to be settled on the track.
Brian Carroccio is a columnist for AutoRacing1. He can be contacted at BrianC@AutoRacing1.com.