Graham Rahal gives blunt verdict on the harsh reality of IndyCar, NASCAR and NHRA's future

Graham Rahal is the son of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's co-owner, Bobby Rahal, and has first-hand experience of looking at both the racing and business side of the motorsports world. With Thermal Club receiving some criticism from the racing community, Rahal explained the importance of a race like Thermal Club for the motorsport scene in the United States.

The Thermal Club is a private golf course-turned-racetrack spanning 426 acres. It serves as a private racetrack for a few people in the United States, and IndyCar drivers raced around the 3.067-mile track for the first time in 2024.

Last year's race was an exhibition event as the race offered a $1 million challenge. The race was then promoted to being a championship event this year, but fans were critical of the private racetrack climbing the motorsport ladder in comparison to several other specially built tracks staying off the IndyCar calendar.

However, Graham Rahal hit back at those fans by revealing the importance of a race like Thermal Club for a series like IndyCar, and how NASCAR and NHRA are also facing similar problems of maintaining the longevity of the sport. He said (via SpeedFreaks):

"You've got guys that are aging... if I even look at NASCAR you got Hendrik, Childress, you've got Joe Gibbs, a lot of guys who are aging. If I look at our sport, the focus of our sport today has to be to create longevity with new partners, new owners and youth. Thermal, whether people like it or not it does open those opportunities to people." (9:12 onwards)

"What's the future of NHRA look like? Connie Kalitta, John Force, John Schumacher is now passed sadly. Look at the role he had in the sport; they've got to be concerned... We have got to find the Next Generation to take motorsport forward, and I think sometimes, the fans don't necessarily see that because they don't understand how those connections maybe come to be, and so I think in some ways Thermal is impactful," he added. (10:20 onwards)

Graham Rahal's second race at Thermal Club was eerily similar to his first one at the track.

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How did Graham Rahal's Thermal Club Grand Prix weekend pan out?

Graham Rahal at the NTT IndyCar Series PPG 375 - Source: Getty

The 36-year-old was one of the 12 drivers to have cut for the 2024 exhibition event in Thermal Club. Though this time, the 27-car grid was poised to start the race, Rahal eventually finished in the same position as his last outing at the track.

Graham Rahal's early pace in the practice sessions was not confidence-inducing, and he qualified 18th for the race. Despite this, he went on to gain seven places during the Grand Prix and recorded an 11th-place finish for the second year running at the private racetrack.