Graham Rahal to fill in for Stefan Wilson in Indianapolis 500
SPEEDWAY, IN. — Graham Rahal will get a new lease on his Indianapolis 500 life as DRR/Cusick Motorsports named him to fill in for Stefan Wilson.
Wilson suffered a fractured vertebra during practice Monday. While he gave a thumbs-up as medics stretchered him into an ambulance, the organization ruled him out of the 500.
“We are very sad that Stefan was injured Monday and now is unable to compete this Sunday in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports/CareKeepers Chevrolet,” said Dennis Reinbold, DRR team owner. “Stefan put so much effort into this race that it is just heartbreaking for this to have happened.”
“First and foremost, the only thing that matters is that Stefan is doing well considering the circumstances,” said Don Cusick, founder and CEO of Cusick Motorsports. “We are completely gutted for Stefan and now will miss his favorite racing event, the legendary Indy 500. We wouldn’t be here without him, and we are committed to supporting him every step of the way to recovery and beyond.”
Rahal, who failed to qualify at the last minute Sunday, will fill in for Wilson.
“I’ll admit it was a very tough weekend for me and my team. We tried everything and we just didn’t have the speed. I’m very sad that Stefan was injured in practice on Monday. I wish him a quick recovery. I want to thank Dennis and Don for giving me this opportunity in the No. 24 car. I’m anxious to work with the team and prepare for the greatest race in the world, the Indianapolis 500,” Rahal said.
This will be Rahal’s 16th try at winning the 500. The second-generation driver’s best finish is third in 2011 and 2020. He also finished fifth in 2015.
“We have known Graham for over a decade, as he drove our car in 2010 at Iowa Speedway. He suffered through a tough weekend here, but we believe Graham can perform very well this Sunday. I want to thank Bobby Rahal and his entire Rahal Letterman Lanigan team for granting us the opportunity to have Graham join us this week,” Reinbold said.
“Graham knows the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval very well and we wish him the best this Sunday in the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” Cusick said.
The DRR/Cusick Motorsports team is preparing a backup chassis for Rahal. He will turn laps during the two-hour Carb Day practice session this Friday.
Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan Racing issued the following statement on this move Tuesday:
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com