GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Midas / Big O Tires Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "It was a longer day. The car started off pretty sketchy but we worked hard on it and we did get it better. I think that at the end we were competitive and if we had had a better starting position, I think that would have helped us considerably. Without a doubt we still have work to do. I think the guys did a great job, everybody is working awfully hard. Sixteenth is not what we want, everybody knows that. We want to see progress and after Texas that is progress."
FAST FACTS: Was his fifth race here. He qualified 23rd but started 24th due to a 10-grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. The team constantly worked to improve the car with each stop and he finished 16thâe¦ Missed winning his first pole in 2008 by 2/10th of a second over a four lap average and started a career best second to Andretti in what was the first Andretti/Rahal front row since 1992 in Loudon, NH. Ran between second and fourth until L130 when he drove over âeoemarblesâe and lost control of his car after trying to go around the slower car of Manning. Retired in 25th place. Qualified 2nd in 2009 and briefly took the lead at the start but dropped to third by the end of the lap and ultimately finished fourth, his highest finish on an oval at the time. In 2010, he ran a partial season and did not race at Milwaukee. In 2011 he qualified 12th and finished 2nd. He qualified 17th, started 11th in 2012 after many ahead served an engine change penalty and finished ninth... His best finish this season is second place in Long Beach and best start is 11th also in Long Beach: Is ranked 17th in series standings with 149 points.