Graham Rahal is facing growing frustration as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) struggles with pace at the World Wide Technology Race (WWTR) this weekend. Qualifying 22nd out of 27 for the 2025 Bommarito Automotive Group 500, Rahal’s performance highlighted the ongoing difficulties the team has encountered in generating competitive speed on oval tracks.
Rahal’s two-lap qualifying time of 51.5207 seconds, averaging 174.687 mph, lagged notably behind pole-sitter Will Power, who set a blistering pace at 180.329 mph. With Sunday marking Rahal’s 300th IndyCar race start, the veteran driver openly questioned why the RLL cars are not keeping up on these circuits.
Challenges Behind RLL’s Speed Deficit at the WWTR Oval
Rahal described the speed issues as perplexing, remarking on the team’s ongoing struggle to craft faster oval cars over recent years. He revealed plans to test new adjustments in hopes of improving the racecar for the upcoming event.
“I’m a little baffled as to, you know, the speed. Sadly, I mean, it’s nothing new to us on ovals and then, particularly, the last few years. We’re just going to try more things this evening and see if we can make a better racecar,” he said, via FrontStretch.
—Graham Rahal, IndyCar driver
During qualifying, Rahal battled understeer in Turns 3 and 4, forcing him to ease off the throttle and lose critical fractions of a second. His teammates Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster achieved better timings, qualifying 17th and 21st, with average speeds of 176.288 mph and 174.907 mph respectively.
Rahal’s struggles with oval speed recalled his difficulties at the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year, where he qualified 30th. Still, he managed to avoid the pressure of Last Chance qualifying, unlike previous years, which he considered a positive milestone. Rahal eventually started 28th due to Team Penske’s qualifying controversy and improved his standing to finish 17th amid a chaotic race.
This year’s WWTR event carries extra significance as the first prime-time IndyCar race broadcast on FOX, kicking off at 8 pm ET under the lights.
Rahal Reflects on Disappointing Progress Compared to Previous Years at WWTR
Rahal’s history at the World Wide Technology Race is marked by modest results, with his best finishes being two tenth places, the last recorded in 2022. In 2024, Rahal qualified 14th but was hampered by a mechanical failure mid-race that dropped him to 23rd by the checkered flag. Despite improvements made during offseason testing at Milwaukee, Rahal was unsettled by the continued lack of pace from his RLL car this season.
“I thought we were gonna be better than last year. I think we will be better than last year, ‘cuz coming out of the Milwaukee test on Monday or Tuesday, we made the car considerably better than what we had there last year. So I had high hopes, let’s put it that way. Again, like I said, the car is not doing anything evil. That’s the disappointing part, it’s just not that quick.”
—Graham Rahal, IndyCar driver
Throughout this season, Rahal has only secured one Top 10 finish, placing sixth at the Sonsio Grand Prix, a race where he started on the front row. A Top 5 result has eluded him since finishing second at last year’s Sonsio Grand Prix, reflecting the ongoing challenges he faces in advancing his position within IndyCar’s competitive field.
