Second-generation drivers with two of the most recognizable surnames in Indy car racing shared the podium following the exciting MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway.
In fact, it's the first time in their Indy car careers that Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti have celebrated together in Victory Circle. Previously, the last meeting on the podium for a Rahal (Bobby) and an Andretti (Michael) was Sept. 1, 1996, at Pacific Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the Molson Indy Vancouver.
Andretti, who started second in the 100-lap race on the 1.703-mile street circuit, led the final 82 laps in the No. 6 Kmart/Texaco Havoline Lola Ford after pole sitter Alex Zanardi crashed. Rahal was the runner-up by nearly two seconds in the No. 18 Miller Genuine Draft Reynard Mercedes. Two weeks earlier at Road America in Wisconsin, Rahal was second to Andretti by six-tenths of a second in the 50-lap Texaco/Havoline 200.
The MAVTV 500 was the 42nd time in which a Rahal and Andretti, including Mario and John, have been on the podium together in an Indy car race. That also includes three podium sweeps (1984 Laguna Seca, 1991 Toronto, 1992 Laguna Seca).
Graham Rahal's rebound this season from a frustrating 2014, in which the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda collected four top-10 finishes in 18 races, is highlighted by the victory June 27 in the 250-lap race. It was his second career Indy car win and first since April 2008 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., when he was 19 years old. It also was the team's first victory for the team since July 2008 by Ryan Hunter-Reay at Watkins Glen.
Rahal, who started 19th in the No. 15 Mi-Jack Honda, moved to fourth in the Verizon IndyCar Series championship standings with his fifth top-five finish through 11 races.
"It feels good. I'm most happy for my dad and Dave (Letterman) and Mike (Lanigan) and all our sponsors that kind of came back and gave us some life this year," Rahal said. "This is a big, big deal for us. There's a lot of people that made a lot of comments about myself and about our team and about our owners and everything else that weren't fair to be quite frank, so to kind of rebound the way we have all season ... this feels good to win.
"It's been a good year, and we've shown that it wasn't like a one‑hit wonder that we were good at. I feel like we're starting to find our form everywhere a little bit, and I think that's helping us in the big picture. My sights are still set on finishing in the top five in points. I don't know that we can win it, I really don't, but top five in points I think is achievable."
Andretti also is experiencing a resurgence of sorts this season, and the third place at Auto Club Speedway was his fourth top-10 finish. Andretti gained one position to sixth in the standings, and remains the only driver to complete every race lap (1,307).
"I'm not going to sit here and feel bad for myself. I'm just going to keep working," said Andretti, who qualified third in the No. 27 Snapple Honda for Andretti Autosport. "It's good that we're bummed out for third. I think it's my 20th podium. I wish I had more wins than two. Almost 1,000 laps led. I wish I had more wins than two. But we just have to keep pushing and hope that I have a long career ahead of me that we can really start racking them up. Our consistency is there, I just wish we were a little bit better."
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