As is traditional, let’s start with those who didn’t make our Top 10. In this IndyCar era of preposterously fine margins and compact seasons, it’s all too easy for teams to take wrong turns down development avenues and run out of time – and test days – to reverse, reset, restore their former competitiveness, and haul in good helpings of points.
That’s what made Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda’s midseason 180 so impressive. Suddenly Graham Rahal was contending for top fives instead of top 10s, and rookie Christian Lundgaard was qualifying in the top six, and able to claim a runner-up finish in the IMS road course’s second race.
