This has not been a month of May to remember for Graham Rahal.
First he failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, then he got a last-second ride after an injury to Stefan Wilson left Dreyer and Reinbold Racing in desperate need of a driver. And just when it looked like Rahal would have a normal Sunday, his car died — at the worst possible moment.
As Roger Penske instructed the drivers to start their engines, Rahal (+8000) couldn’t get his to turn on with an apparent battery issue.
He sat on the track while all the other cars started their pace laps — some swerving around his stalled ride — until his team could get him back to pit road.
“I don’t know what happened. There’s no power at all!” – @GrahamRahal
He is stuck on the grid. Telling his team over and over again that there’s no power.
Team is trying to jumpstart the engine#IndyCar #Indy500
— Rob Peeters (@Rpeeters33) May 28, 2023
.@GrahamRahal with issues on the starting grid.#INDYCAR // #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/ZhFAzZ08iw
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 28, 2023
Rahal’s team worked as fast as they could, but only had about 45 seconds to get the car started again before the green flag. Ultimately the error cost him two laps before he was able to speed out onto the track.
Just a brutal start for Rahal who was already at a disadvantage as the 33rd and final car in the grid.
