Source: Team PR

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
RACE NOTES / QUOTES – March 10, 2024


FITTIPALDI, RAHAL AND LUNDGAARD FINISHED 15TH, 16TH AND 20TH IN THE FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETE

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We took a big strategy gamble, and it was working absolutely, perfectly. It looked like we were going to sneak into the top 10. Our pace was good, and we had the fastest laps of the race in that mid stint; we were almost a second a lap faster than the leaders at that time and it was cycling us perfectly towards the front and that last yellow with Linus came at the perfectly wrong time and that ruined our strategy. We had to take a gamble. We had a faster car than the results showed and unfortunately, we had to try something and went off sequence. The boys did a wonderful job with the strategy today and the Fifth Third Bank crew did an excellent job in the pits. Thanks to the boys for all their hard work. I’m looking forward to Therrnal.” 

• FAST FACTS: Started 22nd and ran as high as seventh before a caution flag came out for rookie Linus Lundqvist, which negated his pit strategy to move forward and capitalize on what he felt was a fast race car. He ultimately finished 16th…. Made his 17th start at the track… His best start here is pole in 2009 and best finish is a win in 2008 in his IndyCar Series debut – both history-making moments at the time as he became the youngest race winner in series history (2008), and youngest pole winner in series history (2009). Both records were eclipsed in 2019 by Colton Herta but he held them for 10 and 11 years, respectively.  Overall, he has earned one top-five and seven top-10 starts here and has two top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including sixth place here last year. Year-by-year details are available upon request… 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.

PIETRO FITTIPALDI, No. 30 OAKBERRY / Pneustore Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “So the weekend went perfectly, exactly how we wanted it to go. Obviously, we were being super safe in practice and qualifying and taking it step by step. We knew that we were going to grow in the race as the race went on and the more laps that we did. As a group, everyone is new to each other. There’s a lot of new guys on the No. 30 car and we only had two days of testing to prepare. So, by the race we were able to gel better together and we executed perfectly pit stops and the strategy. It was amazing and I’m so happy with the work that the whole team did. I lost my cooling tube in the beginning of the race and I was like I’m not sure I was going to finish because I was overheating but we did. I’m super happy about that and it’s a good start. Let’s keep working.”

• FAST FACTS: Started 26th and finished 15th to receive the “Biggest Mover Award” in his first INDYCAR street race… Pietro returned to the series after having made nine starts in 2018 and 2021 for Dale Coyne Racing. Of his nine starts in the series, six were on oval tracks and three were on road courses. His best career start is 10th in Phoenix (oval) and ninth in Portland (road) – both in 2018.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, No. 45 Hy-Vee Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It wasn’t the greatest of starts here in St. Petersburg, but I think the positive is that the Hy-Vee Honda was faster than the winning car on the first stint. We showed a lot of potential this weekend. Even though the result doesn’t show it we’re leaving here with a lot of positives and in a positive mindset, but I feel like we’re in the hunt. The next time out we’re going to fight for $1 million bucks so that’s exciting for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. I’m disappointed about today but I’m happy about the improvements we made to the performance throughout the weekend.”

• FAST FACTS: Started 12th and was hit by Alex Palou on the opening lap. The series reviewed the move but ruled it a racing incident and did not penalize Palou, who went on to finish sixth. Lundgaard led seven laps after pitting on the opening lap to replace his punctured tire. He had to pit for a splash of fuel with two laps to go and dropped from 17th to 20th for the checkered flag. He broke through to win his first series victory on the streets of Toronto in 2023, from pole no less. And brought the team two of its four poles in 2023 to match Team Penske in the second-most poles for the year. In St. Pete last year, he started 11th and finished ninth and started 15th and finished 11th here in 2022… Has ONE WIN (2023 – Toronto street course) and TWO POLES (2023 – IMS road, Toronto street).

NEXT UP:  The series will take next weekend off before The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge outside Palm Springs, California on March 24. The events is a made-for-TV, non-points race that will be televised live on NBC beginning at 12:30 PM ET.