INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host a special practice session for a pair of drivers.
IndyCar said Thursday’s practice will involve Graham Rahal’s No. 24 car from Dreyer & Reinbold with Cusick Motorsports and Katherine Legge’s No. 44 car from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
The 15-minute session will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Both racing teams have extenuating circumstances—and their situations are linked. Legge’s practice session was cut short on Monday after she was involved in a crash that sent Stefan Wilson to the hospital.
As a result, Wilson needed surgery and will miss the race. His team needed a driver and called Rahal, who was bumped from the field during qualifying.
Rahal, who typically drives for Honda, received clearance from the manufacturer and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, to drive for a different team. The Dreyer & Reinbold car is a Chevrolet.
In a news conference Tuesday, Rahal admitted he’d face a tight turnaround for learning a new team and car. He thought his only on-track opportunity would be the final Indy 500 practice on Carb Day.
For Thursday’s practice, each team will be allowed unlimited install laps (out and in) within the time frame. They won’t be allowed to stay on the track to cross the start-finish line and the Yard of Bricks, according to IndyCar.
The final Indy 500 practice is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. The race is scheduled for Sunday, May 28.
