Graham Rahal will receive the Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Gala benefitting Speedway Children's Charities on April 11.
Rahal was selected for displaying a demeanor both on and off the track that exemplifies the meaning of sportsmanship. In June 2012, he appeared headed to his second career IZOD IndyCar Series victory before his ill-handling car brushed the wall with two laps left. The bobble handed the lead and eventual victory to Justin Wilson. Following the race, Rahal handled situation as a true professional.
Nine months later, Rahal returned to the 1.5-mile oval for a March 27 test with his new team, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
"It always will be one that got away from me until I win my next one," said Rahal, who earned his first victory in his IZOD IndyCar Series debut in 2008. "Then I won't think about it. There are a lot of cases where I look back and it's frustrating that you didn't get to see it through. This is certainly one of them. It would have been nice to win and get rid of all the questions of when I'll win again, and all that sort of thing. But I think it adds fuel to the fire to come back here and do a good job this year."
The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to the speedway June 8 for the Firestone 550. GET TICKETS
He said it
“Imagine if I’d won the championship the last three years. I’d have no motivation.”
-- Three-time series runner-up and Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Verizon P1 Award winner Will Power before finishing 16th to start the season.
Firestone to sponsor 'An Evening with Brian Redman'
Firestone returns for the fourth consecutive year as the presenting sponsor of the Road Racing Drivers Club's West Coast banquet.
The April 18 event, as part of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, will highlight the career of Brian Redman.
Of note
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg winner James Hinchcliffe will be a guest of George Stroumboulopoulos during the broadcast at 7 p.m. (ET) April 9 on CBC. … Mark on your calendar for an appearance May 14 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. (ET) by Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves and Will Power at the Meijer store at 1425 W. Carmel Drive in Carmel, Ind. Rides in the Indy Racing Experience street-legal two-seater will be given from 6:30-8:30 p.m. … Did you notice that the first seven drivers on the St. Pete grid represented both sexes, five continents and seven countries?