Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Honda Indy Toronto – Streets around Exhibition Place
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
RACE NOTES/QUOTES – Sunday, July 16, 2023

LUNDGAARD EARNED HIS FIRST INDYCAR SERIES WIN AT THE HONDA INDY TORONTO; RAHAL CLIMBED FROM 27TH TO A NINTH PLACE FINISH AND HARVEY WAS COLLECTED IN OPENING LAP CRASH

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 United Rentals Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It was a good day overall. We were able to work our way forward and avoid several messes. Obviously, we got in a couple (of messes) but we were able to keep things as clean as possible. I think we just need to get a little bit better. Obviously, great job to Christian. I think we just did a good job overall with strategy and everything that played out well for us today and we turn our attention to Iowa.” 

• FAST FACTS: Started 27th and avoided an opening lap crash and drove through a runoff area to avoid an impassable track to catch up to the field. Persistence paid off and he climbed to a 9th place finish in his record-setting 252nd start with Honda power. The 2023 Honda Indy Toronto will be Graham Rahal’s 16th Indy car race here and 17th overall (Atlantic 2006). In 15 Indy car races, his best start of second came in 2017 with RLL and best finish of fourth came last year. He has three, top-five starts and seven, top-10 finishes… Has SIX IndyCar Series wins (2008 – St. Pete street course; 2015 – Fontana Super Speedway, Mid-Ohio road course; 2016 – Texas Super Speedway; 2017 Detroit Race 1, Detroit Race 2) and THREE poles (2009 – St. Pete street course, Kansas oval; 2017 – Detroit Race 1 street) and his highest series season-ending standing is fourth place in 2015… Rahal is 14th in series point standings with a total of 167.

JACK HARVEY, 30 HUB International Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “My race lasted half of a corner. All I know is that I was ahead of three cars who were kind of involved and from my vantage point I was on the inside and it looked like three cars were never going to fit in that gap. I wasn’t the last car in that gap so to me there’s a possibility it should go third car, second car, and first car. I was the first car so not sure I’m prepared to take the responsibility on the crash. I felt like I did everything I was expected to do so that’s annoying. Yeah, we just need to put together a couple of results to turn a little bit of this bad luck around because clearly the cars were quick today and I felt good pretty much all weekend. I felt like we started out in position. Really, I’m happy for the team and for Christian getting that win. I know it’s been a second but that just didn’t happen overnight. I mean, those things are hard work and I’m really proud of the team working so hard to get it on the back of what was a difficult day to dig deep and work hard. I think at that point I just want to say thanks to the team for providing us with such good cars and ultimately a car quick enough to win a race. I’m really happy for everyone involved.” 

• FAST FACTS: Started 19th for his second INDYCAR race here and was collected in a multi-car crash on the opening lap and retired from the race in 24th place.. He is 23rd in series standings with 101 points.  

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 45 VIVID Clear RX Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “I’m pretty drained here right now. The Hy-Vee VIVID Clear RX car has just been fast all weekend and I said it before the race that we had a car that was fast enough to win and we pulled it off. I think we did it by 10 seconds. This team, they do deserve this. If we look at where we were earlier this season and even last year at this point we were nowhere near this. I’m just extremely happy for everybody right now. Yeah, I mean, honestly whatever Bobby, Mike, and David are doing for this team and all of the partners — I know that even Randy at Hy-Vee, everything that they’re doing for this team — we’re moving forward and now we get to get rid of our mustache!” 

• FAST FACTS: Started from pole and led 54 laps en route to his first series victory.  Was his second race here and second INDYCAR SERIES pole after starting from pole in the GMR Grand Prix at IMS in May. Last year, he started 10th and climbed as high as fifth before his first of two stops on Lap 17. He made his second stop with the majority of the field during the second of four caution periods on Lap 47 and returned to the track 12th. He gained more positions when a few drivers made their final stop and others made contact. He took the checkered flag in eighth place for his highest career INDYCAR finish to date at that point…. He is in seventh place in series standings with 248.

RLL AT TORONTO: The 2023 Honda Indy Toronto marked the 22nd year of Indy car racing for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) here and second since 2019 due to the pandemic. The team also competed in the Atlantic Series races here in 2003 and 2004.  The team earned a win (TODAY), and a total of four second-place finishes (Rahal 1992, 1994, 1995; Michel Jourdain Jr. 2003) and best start was pole in 1992 by Bobby Rahal and 2023 by Lundgaard. In total, the team has earned SIX podiums (3rd – Rahal 1996), 11 top-five’s and 23 top-10 finishes at the track. 

NEXT UP: The series heads to Iowa Speedway for next weekend’s Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend doubleheader. The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 Presented by Instacart will take place on Saturday, July 22 and be broadcast from 2-4 ET on NBC and the Hy-Vee One Step 250 Presented by Gatorade will take place on Sunday, July 23 and be broadcast live from 1-4 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at https://www.hyveeindycarweekend.com/buy-tickets/ticket-prices