“Get ready for a lot of pork tenderloins”: Graham Rahal’s message to welcome IndyCar newbie Will Buxton

Graham Rahal had a rather unconventional piece of advice for Will Buxton ahead of his IndyCar commentary debut with Fox Sports.

The British journalist, who left the F1 group to take up a role as the lead commentator for the IndyCar series, is set to make his debut in the American open-wheel racing series at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

However, ahead of his IndyCar debut, Buxton was treated to a flurry of advice and messages from drivers on the grid. While several drivers hailed the addition of the motorsport expert to the sport’s commentary team, Graham Rahal took his advice to the journalist a notch higher.

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver playfully advised Buxton to prepare for an abundance of pork tenderloins rather than focusing on the challenges of calling IndyCar races.

In a post shared on X by IndyCar on Fox, Buxton was seen watching a video compilation of drivers’ comments. When Rahal’s message appeared, the 36-year-old quipped:

“Get ready for a lot of pork tenderloins in Indy and all the other stuff that you are going to get; it’s quite a bit different than Monaco.” (00:51 onwards)

Buxton himself could not help but laugh at the comments made by Rahal, taking the words of the veteran driver with humor.

The British motorsport expert is expected to make his debut in the IndyCar commentary box at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, which is set to kick off the 2025 season.

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Graham Rahal among drivers to clinch maiden win at St. Petersburg Grand Prix

AUTO: AUG 17 NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

Graham Rahal is part of an exclusive group of IndyCar drivers who secured their maiden career victory at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. The veteran driver claimed his first win in the American open-wheel racing series in 2008 at just 19 years of age.

Rahal’s victory at St. Petersburg is even more remarkable considering that the then-Newman/Haas/Lanigan driver was making his very first start in the IndyCar Series.

The Ohio-born driver also set a new record as the youngest race winner in series history, surpassing the previous record held by Marco Andretti.

James Hinchcliffe and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin are the only other drivers to have secured their maiden IndyCar victory at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

Rahal will be hoping for a far more impressive IndyCar season than he had in 2024. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver finished a disappointing 18th last season, managing only five top-10 finishes throughout the campaign.