Graham Rahal baffled by IndyCar's classification of Helio Castroneves and Takuma Sato for Indy 500 test

Graham Rahal was among the 34 drivers who participated in the Indy 500 open test. Rahal's teammate for the Indy 500, Takuma Sato, had to take the refresher course at the open test despite having won the race around the circuit. Rahal came out and revealed how he was baffled by the fact that Helio Castroneves didn't have to take the refresher course, but Sato did.

The first day at the Indy 500 open test, i.e., April 23, was divided into three sessions. The second session was the refresher course and rookie orientation session, where drivers who hadn't raced at the oval since last year's Indy 500, or were new to the series, would drive around, gradually build up speed, and complete various phases.

Kyle Larson, Marco Andretti, Takuma Sato, Devlin DeFrancesco, and Callum Ilott were the drivers who took the refresher course, whereas Louis Foster, Robert Shwartzman, and Jacob Abel were the rookies who took the test.

However, Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who hadn't completed since the 2024 Indy 500, weren't required to take the refresher course. Graham Rahal was surprised at IndyCar's decision about the same, and why RLL driver and former Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato had to take the test.

“You know, it's funny to me see him (Takuma Sato) in a refresher here, because I don't understand how Elio is not in the refresher, but yet Takuma is. But anyway, obviously he knows his way around here, and I'm excited to see what he thinks of the developments in the offseason,” said Graham Rahal to IndyCar (4:04 onwards)

Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay participated in the post-season test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and, hence, weren't required by the regulations to participate in the refresher course.

Graham Rahal's close encounters with the wall at the Indy 500 open test

Graham Rahal is a veteran driver and has participated in 17 Indy 500 races. However, the speeds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway caught out the best of the driver, and a similar thing happened with the RLL driver at the open test.

Graham Rahal went a little too hot into Turn 3 at the IMS and brushed the wall on the exit as he straightened the car for the next turn. The rear of the RLL just got out of shape on the exit and lightly tapped the barrier, before whacking the wall again and damaging the rear right suspension.

Going into Turn 4, Rahal's car swerved due to the broken suspension. However, the veteran driver was able to save the car from a massive crash and brought it safely back into the pits. Graham Rahal finished the first day as the 14th fastest driver with an average speed of 222.919 mph.