http://youtube.com/watch?v=
KWCRCP6GO44[/youtube]
INDYCAR has announced that Graham Rahal has been placed on probation until after the June 23rd event at Iowa Speedway for his role in a Lap 22 incident with Marco Andretti during Sunday’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
The crash started when Rahal moved slightly to the inside to stop Andretti from making a pass attempt going into the right-hand turn. Andretti wound up making contact with and then launched over Rahal’s No. 38 into the air before coming down and hitting the tire barriers. Neither driver was unable to continue in the race.
INDYCAR cited both Rule 9.3.2 of the IZOD IndyCar Series rule book, which states that drivers must not alter their racing lines based on a pursuing driver’s actions to stop a pass, and Rule 9.3.3, which states that drivers must not use or attempt to use avoidable contact that interrupts another driver’s lap time or track position.
“Due to the inability of the No. 38 car to continue the race, a review of the on-track actions of Graham Rahal became a post-race issue,” series race director Beaux Barfield said in a league statement. “All stewards have reviewed the incident and have decided that the on-track actions of Graham warranted probation because of driving that endangers on-track safety and adversely affects competition.”
Shortly after the incident, Rahal contended that Andretti was not going to make the corner and complete the pass, while Andretti said that Rahal chopped him and added that he was lucky not to have been killed.
