Although new seasons introduce different challenges, Graham Rahal is about to embark on an unprecedented experience. This weekend’s IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg will coincide with the debut of his newly-created MotoAmerica team which is simultaneously competing at Daytona.
The 35-year-old announced the formation of Rahal Ducati Moto nearly six months ago, with a focus on entering the Supersport class. Racing legend Ben Spies, a five-time AMA champion who also captured the 2009 World Superbike title and stood on the top step of the podium with Yamaha in MotoGP, has been one of the pillars crafting the foundation of the programme as its team principal.
For Rahal, the motivation to have a team contesting in MotoAmerica came from early days of his youth when he watched AMA race in nearby Columbus, Ohio. Now, Rahal officially begins his tenure as a team owner and all while preparing to make his 276th career IndyCar start. However, due to both series beginning their respective seasons on the same weekend – roughly three hours apart, no less – he’s not able to be present for the official debut of his “new baby” in the Daytona 200 on Saturday.
“It's very different,” says Rahal, a six-time IndyCar race winner. “It is unique to be going into a weekend like Daytona, where it's our first race and it's the biggest race of the year. There's a lot of pressures that are associated with that, but also, I can't even be there. It's the first event for our new baby and I'm going to have my own things to be worried about. So, that's a little abnormal but I'm excited for the opportunity.”
There are certainly nerves for Rahal, too. “It is different in the sense that we're going racing in a sport that I have absolutely no knowledge about other than being a fan,” he adds. And that's why the 39-year-old Spies has been a pivotal piece of the process.
In the beginning, Rahal was stunned to learn that Spies was interested in being part of the effort after being tipped off by Wayne Rainey, another bike racing legend. The thought of adding Spies ticked every box as Rahal sought ways to immediately elevate and validate his programme. With that, Spies quickly went to work and built a three-rider roster featuring Corey Alexander, PJ Jacobsen and Kayla Yaakov. They, along with team manager James Compton, have been “flat out” ever since.
Source: Autosport