Rahal follow's in dad's footsteps

The DesMoines Register continues to provide great coverage in the lead-up to this weekend's race in Iowa. A great piece of writing on Bobby Rahal and Graham Rahal can be found here or read the complete article below:

"Graham Rahal could have been a safety instead of a racer.

Or a wide receiver.

Maybe a punter.

But his dad, Bobby Rahal, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner, deftly diverted him from football's hits, bumps and turf toe as a child with one simple phrase.

"(He) always told me, 'I like your knees the way they are,' " said the younger Rahal, who will race in Sunday's Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway in Newton.

So Rahal races at speeds in excess of 200 mph instead, and has swiftly become one of the Indy Racing League's most popular drivers since joining the fold after the Champ Car World Series' February merger with IRL.

His name didn't hurt his prospects for fame.

His driving ability - most recently evidenced by becoming, at 19, the youngest driver to win an IndyCar Series race, April 6 at St. Petersburg, Fla. - makes his star shine brighter.

"We've gone through a lot of ups and downs," the Newman Haas Lanigan racer said of his season, which includes a 16th-place standing in points. "Obviously, winning was a great thing, but (recent) race weekends have been pretty difficult. We're just trying to recover the best that we can. We've certainly learned a lot."

Rahal's early learning curve includes a fifth-place finish in last year's Champ Car standings, as well as becoming the youngest driver to win an SCCA national title in 2005.

Iowa Speedway, he said, could boost his profile - and be a boon to former Champ Car drivers who are accustomed to tight places, staging races primarily on street and road courses.

"It's a fast place and it's small, so it comes down to a lot of set-up," Rahal said. "I'm looking forward to it."

He also enjoyed the one-weekend break between Texas and Iowa.

Maybe even needed it.

"It's damn nice just to get one weekend off away from things," Rahal said. "You need to get your mind away from racing a little, otherwise you can get too caught up in it."

Rahal got caught up in racing by taking early childhood trips with his family to places such as Cleveland and Mid-Ohio.

He called the excursions a blend of fun and trouble.

"Fun would be Domino's Pizza, they always had a Domino's Pizza inside the track at Mid-Ohio, so every night we'd order (some) and guys would deliver it on a golf cart to our mobile home," Rahal said.

"Then we'd take the golf cart and drive it around the infield. We're only like, 5 years old ... so that's not allowed. That was good trouble."

And, despite not donning pads himself, Rahal's a big football fan.

He watches his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes each fall with his legs propped up, both knees intact - thanks to dad.

"Obviously, everyone that lives in Columbus, Ohio, is pretty passionate about the Buckeyes," Rahal said.

"And if you're not, I don't think you're a real Ohioan."

Check out this for more Indycar preview news: