Friday, April 17, 2009
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach – Streets of Long Beach, Calif.
Round 2 in the IndyCar Series

McDONALD’S DRIVER RAHAL 10TH FASTEST IN PRACTICE FOR THE TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH; DOORNBOS 14TH

FASTEST: Will Power 1.10.5486 / 100.424 mph
10th: Graham Rahal 1:11.1768 / 99.538 mph
14th: Robert Doornbos 1:11.2545 / 99.430 mph




Graham Rahal, No. 02 McDonald’s Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Overall it was a pretty good day. It seems like a bunch of guys ran new tires at the end and went a little bit quicker and we didn’t really get a new tire run at all. When we tried to go out, I was locking my tires like crazy so I really only got two laps on new tires, both of which I locked up in Turn 1 and blew the run away so I just pitted. We didn’t really get a new tire run and we’re still pretty happy with where we are. We would have run quicker there at the end but I was behind Wilson and he ran wide and I had to slow up. I think the McDonald’s team is competitive but we still have a little ways to go. It’s tight and it’s going to be tough. There is a lot of knowledge we bring from our Champ Car days of running here but it (Indy car) seems to be different. The car feels completely different here than the Champ Car. Although technically it should be the same, being an open wheel car, it is quite a bit different.”

FAST FACTS: Will be his third Champ or Indy car race here and first event since becoming the youngest pole sitter in series history after winning pole in St. Pete on 4-4-09 at 20 years, 90 days old. In 2008 he started ninth and had a podium in sight when he was alongside third place last year but contact during this pass led to a 13th place finish. Started fifth in 2007 but the pit strategy of others and slow fuel flow related to teething problems for the all-new Panoz Champ Car on one stop limited his finish to eighth place. In the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Series race here he started seventh and finished fifth…Is ranked seventh in series points with 27.




Robert Doornbos, No. 06 Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “We started off strong this morning. I haven’t seen this track for two years and by the third lap this morning we were P1 and stayed there for most of the session. It was looking good and we ended up sixth. We made some changes over lunch and we had a clutch issue so in the afternoon run it was slipping and burning. It was not a very good run, that’s why we are not very fast. We tried different downforce levels and I think we know where to concentrate our work for qualifying. It’s very competitive. Two-tenths of a second more and you are in the top-three. I think we know where to find that two-tenths. The downforce level is less in an Indy car than the Champ Car I drove here in 2007 so the braking points are different and you have to change your mindset about where they are now in an Indy car. I also just came from a really high level of downforce in an A1GP car so it’s an even bigger adjustment. We just have to work with it and improve the mechanical side.”

SECOND RACE IN LONG BEACH: In the 2007 Champ Car race here, he battled pit stop troubles related to the new Panoz chassis as well as gearbox problems and finished four laps down. After being competitive in the St. Pete opener, the team is optimistic of a strong result in Long Beach… Has competed against fellow ICS drivers Marco Andretti (A1GP), Danica Patrick (Formula Ford), Ryan Briscoe (F3) and E.J. Viso (F3000)… Is ranked 11th in series points with 19 and leads the Rookie of the Year standings.




6 WINS, 11 POLES, 14 PODIUMS FOR NHR/NHLR IN LONG BEACH: NHR/NHLR will make their 26th consecutive appearance here and has earned SIX WINS, 11 POLES and 14 PODIUMS at this event. (WINS by Bourdais 2005-2007 & Mario Andretti 1987, 1985, 1984; 2nd place finishes by Junqueira 2004, Cristiano da Matta 2001, Nigel Mansell 1994, Michael Andretti 1989; 3rd place finishes by Junqueira 2005 & 2003, Bourdais 2004, Mansell 1993.) (POLES by Wilson 2008, Bourdais 2006-2007, Junqueira 2004, Mi. Andretti 1995, Mansell 1993, Mi. Andretti 1992, Mi. Andretti 1991, Ma. Andretti 1987, Ma. Andretti 1985, and Ma. Andretti 1984.)