Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
109th Running of the Indianapolis 500
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
CARB DAY NOTES / QUOTES – May 23, 2025
MIXED RESULTS ON CARB DAY FOR THE FINAL PRACTICE IN PREPARATION FOR SUNDAY’S 109TH RUNNING OF THE INDY 500
1) Josef Newgarden 225.687 mph (71 total laps)
2) Takuma Sato 225.415 mph (62 total laps)
4) Devlin DeFrancesco 224.778 mph (67 total laps)
22) Louis Foster 222.539 mph (55 total laps)
33) Graham Rahal 221.572 mph (21 total laps)
GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 United Rentals Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We had a mechanical failure before the halfway point of the session unfortunately. We’ve had our challenges this month, but we’ve hung in there. This is the most recent one and we’re done for the day unfortunately. I was out on the first new set of tires I’ve had and was trying to get in the pack but I could tell the car wouldn’t stay in the pack. It kept getting slower and slower, then finally out of Turn 1, I felt it grind pretty good to end our day, which is disappointing for our team, for United Rentals and everyone. The car was better today, a lot better, which is a positive. The wind is wrecking havoc today, with the cross wind in particular in Turn 3. The car felt really good in Turn 2, which is key for the race so I was pleased with that. I just wish we could have gotten more time on track. At this stage you’ve just got to make the best of it. It’s not ideal but we’ll do what we can.”
FAST FACTS: Ended the session early with a mechanical issue. The engine is being changed for the race and he will not participate in the pit stop contest. He qualified 30th for his 18th Indy 500 and will start 28th due to two Team Penske cars being penalized. His best qualifying position in the Indy 500 is fourth in 2009 with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing and best finish is third with Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing in 2011 and RLL in 2020. Was bumped in qualifying for the 2023 Indy 500 by then-teammate Harvey but competed in the race as a replacement for the injured Stefan Wilson and finished 22nd after mechanical issues on the starting grid. Detailed Indy 500 information 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 FIVE poles (2009 – St. Pete street course, Kansas oval; 2017 – Detroit Race 1 street; 2023 – IMS road, Portland) and his highest series season-ending standing is fourth place in 2015… He is 13th in INDYCAR SERIES point standings with 92.
DEVLIN DEFRANCESCO, No. 30 Dogecoin Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “It was a really solid Carb Day for the No. 30 Dogecoin Honda. I think it was the best day we’ve had all month. We rolled off and the issues that we’ve been experiences all month with the mid-off-corner understeer were solved and I think we can be a really strong force come Sunday. We’re in a good window.”
FAST FACTS: He qualified 18th for his third Indy 500 and will start 16th after two Team Penske cars were penalized. It will be his best start in the race. His previous best Indy 500 start is 24th in 2022 and his best finish is 13th in 2024. After one year away from the series, DeFrancesco matched his best INDYCAR start of fifth place in the 2025 Sonsio Grand Prix at the previous race – for his second fifth place start on the IMS road course after also starting fifth here in 2023. He is ranked 25th in the INDYCAR SERIES point standings with 44 points.
LOUIS FOSTER, No. 45 Desnuda Tequila Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We’re getting there on the balance; there is still work to do on it. Hopefully, come race day we will have nailed it. We are struggling in a straight line with speed. We trimmed and it helped a little bit but we’re looking at various things to work on the drag and if we can find something, that would be great. We’ve done a really good job of getting the balance in the window. Our focus now is on reducing some drag.”
FAST FACTS: He qualified 22nd for his first Indy 500 but will start 20th after two Team Penske cars were penalized. His best series start to date is third at the previous race – the Sonsio Grand Prix and his best finish is 11th – also at the Sonsio GP… He is ranked in 23rd place in the point standings with 49.
TAKUMA SATO, No. 75 AMADA Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We were slowly but surely building up the confidence in the session. This is the last chance to work on the race set up. I would say we weren’t entirely happy with it yet but we were making good progress. We were pointing in the right direction, so I want to check all the data. We had a mechanical failure on the last run and lost performance on one side of the car. It’s too early for me to say what that was until the team investigates it, but I almost lost control in Turn 1 and we are just fortunate I didn’t hit anything. I nearly lost the car again. We will look into it.”
FAST FACTS: Ended the session early due to what was later identified as a driveline issue. The two-time Indy 500 champion earned his top starting spot of second place for his 16th Indy 500 in 2025. He started 10th for his 15th Indy 500 in 2024 and sixth with the team and finished 14th. He competed for RLL full time in 2012 and from 2018-2021 and won the Indy 500 with RLL in 2020 after starting on the front row for the first time in third. He has earned six NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins, four of which have come with RLL, including the team’s second Indy 500 win in 2020. Prior to that, Sato competed in oval races with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023. Other Indy 500 highlights with RLL include the 2012 where he was alongside eventual winner Franchitti in Turn 1 on the final lap but his race ended due to contact after he was squeezed down on the apron and lost control of his race car. He also finished third for RLL in 2019 and was a contender in the final laps… Has SIX INDYCAR SERIES wins (2013 – Long Beach street course, 2017 – Indy 500 oval, 2018 – Portland road, 2019 – Barber road, Gateway oval; 2020 Indy 500 ) and 10 poles (2011 Iowa oval, Edmonton street; 2013 Houston Race 1 street; 2014 St. Pete street, Detroit Race 2 street; 2017 Detroit Race 2, Pocono oval; 2019 Barber road, Texas oval; 2020 St. Louis – Race 2).
NEXT UP: The 109th running of the Indy 500 will air live on FOX on Sunday, May 25 beginning at 10 a.m. ET.