“I’m very proud of what he is achieving”: When Bobby Rahal spoke his heart on son Graham Rahal’s progress in IndyCar

Former Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal once reflected on his son Graham Rahal's achievements in IndyCar and his simultaneous success off the racetrack. Graham Rahal has been a regular in the series for over 15 years.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Graham Rahal has long been a mainstay in IndyCar. At 36 years old, the New Albany, Ohio native is a veteran of the sport, having won six races in his career. Rahal also remains one of the most popular drivers on the grid.

Once dubbed a racing prodigy during his early days in Champ Car and the IndyCar Series, it is safe to say that Rahal's career has left more to be desired out of the driver. However, his father, Bobby Rahal, a former Indy 500 winner and a team owner, remains firmly proud of everything his son has achieved.

In an interview with IndyCar.com back in 2019, Bobby reminisced on Graham Rahal's childhood days, his racing career, and everything he has become, both on and off the racetrack. Referring to his racing ventures and his resume as a business owner and a philanthropist, Bobby stated:

"If you knew Graham back then, where he is today would not surprise you. He started all of this stuff by himself. He never came asking for money to help start a business. I’m very proud of what he is achieving both on and off the track."

Notably, Graham Rahal's philanthropic efforts include the Graham & Courtney Rahal Foundation, which was established in 2009. The foundation has, since 2019, donated over $1.5 million to charity funds. Rahal has also worked with One Cure to combat cancer in pets.

Additionally, his Turns for Troops initiative supports SoldierStrong, aiding U.S. veterans. For every lap Graham completes in a race driving the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan car, United Rentals contributes $50 to SoldierStrong through the Turns For Troops initiative. Since the program’s inception in 2016, Graham’s efforts have helped generate $920,150 by the end of the 2024 season.

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Previewing Graham Rahal's 2025 campaign

Heading into the 2025 IndyCar season, Rahal will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 campaign, which was statistically one of his worst.

Last season, he finished 18th in the championship standings. He had no wins, poles, top-three, or top-five finishes to his name. Rahal secured five top-10 finishes and could only lead seven laps across two races. His troubles lay particularly in qualifying races, where Rahal averaged a starting position of 17.1. Meanwhile, his average finish position was 15.1.

Notably, ahead of the 2025 season, both of Graham Rahal's former teammates, Christian Lundgaard and Pietro Fittipaldi, have been replaced by Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster, respectively. The team has also brought in Yves Touron—formerly Juncos Hollinger Racing’s technical director—as Rahal’s new race engineer. Rahal’s former engineer, Ashley Higham, has shifted to work with Devlin DeFrancesco.

With so many changes to the RLL lineup, Rahal would aim to lead this team and deliver much better performances in the upcoming campaign.