Although new seasons introduce different challenges, Graham Rahal is about to embark on an unprecedented experience. This weekend’s IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg will coincide with the debut of his newly-created MotoAmerica team which is simultaneously competing at Daytona.
The 35-year-old announced the formation of Rahal Ducati Moto nearly six months ago, with a focus on entering the Supersport class. Racing legend Ben Spies, a five-time AMA champion who also captured the 2009 World Superbike title and stood on the top step of the podium with Yamaha in MotoGP, has been one of the pillars crafting the foundation of the programme as its team principal.
For Rahal, the motivation to have a team contesting in MotoAmerica came from early days of his youth when he watched AMA race in nearby Columbus, Ohio. Now, Rahal officially begins his tenure as a team owner and all while preparing to make his 276th career IndyCar start. However, due to both series beginning their respective seasons on the same weekend – roughly three hours apart, no less – he’s not able to be present for the official debut of his “new baby” in the Daytona 200 on Saturday.
“It's very different,” says Rahal, a six-time IndyCar race winner. “It is unique to be going into a weekend like Daytona, where it's our first race and it's the biggest race of the year. There's a lot of pressures that are associated with that, but also, I can't even be there. It's the first event for our new baby and I'm going to have my own things to be worried about. So, that's a little abnormal but I'm excited for the opportunity.”
There are certainly nerves for Rahal, too. “It is different in the sense that we're going racing in a sport that I have absolutely no knowledge about other than being a fan,” he adds. And that's why the 39-year-old Spies has been a pivotal piece of the process.
In the beginning, Rahal was stunned to learn that Spies was interested in being part of the effort after being tipped off by Wayne Rainey, another bike racing legend. The thought of adding Spies ticked every box as Rahal sought ways to immediately elevate and validate his programme. With that, Spies quickly went to work and built a three-rider roster featuring Corey Alexander, PJ Jacobsen and Kayla Yaakov. They, along with team manager James Compton, have been “flat out” ever since.
While Alexander and Jacobsen are proven veterans, Yaakov comes in as the prospect that has everyone’s attention. Sporting a robust resume of numerous wins and podiums in the lower categories, she comes into this season having already tasted some success in Supersport. After turning 16-years-old (the minimum age allowed to compete in Supersport) last June, Yaakov made a couple of appearances as a fill-in rider and captured a top three result – becoming the first female road racer to reach a Supersport podium of the MotoAmerica era of AMA-sanctioned professional racing.
Signing Yaakov was among the list of priorities for Rahal, who references the influence by his father, 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, in helping bring Danica Patrick to IndyCar in 2005.
“When you look at our family and my dad's involvement with Danica and everything else, seeing females in our world, in what people believe is a very masculine world, is a great thing,” says Rahal, who is embarking on his 12th season driving a Honda-powered Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry. “And to see what Kayla was made of last year, but also more importantly at the first test [at Jennings GP in Florida] of this year, we're extremely excited for what her future has in store.”
"She's the fastest woman we've ever seen ride a motorcycle. And as fast as she is, I want to see where that ceiling is because right now, I don't see a ceiling" Ben Spies
Equipped with the Ducati Panigale V2, this weekend will be Yaakov’s maiden outing in the legendary event. She will also be the youngest in the field – one that Spies references is the deepest since the late 1990s – and one of only two female riders attempting to qualify for the 57-lap race.
“From a rider development standpoint, working with Kayla, she's the fastest woman we've ever seen ride a motorcycle,” Spies says. “And as fast as she is, I want to see where that ceiling is because right now, I don't see a ceiling. She's winning in everything. It's been very impressive. And I was impressed with her feedback and the clarity she has as a rider and being her age. I probably wasn't there until I was like 19 or 20. And it's a lot with how her dad and her developed.
“The last few years when they've come to those decisions, her dad would call me, and I'd give a little feedback. And then for this team to happen, I was able to call them and be like, 'Yo, me and Graham, we talked about it and we want you.' So, made that full circle come together.”
Spies aims to be there for Alexander, Jacobsen and Yaakov in a similar way that Kevin Schwantz was for him throughout his career: as a mentor that sometimes merely needs to be present but is unafraid to provide feedback.
“There's a lot that I have to learn as well in a few sections with it, because I got to be a racer that everybody did stuff for and made it easy,” Spies says. “But for me, I really enjoy working with the riders, working with the mechanics and the feedback in between them. I had a really good group of people around me that was able to make me successful. I know how strong that can be for some people to make the complete pie, because some people are just missing a couple slices and they need that group around them.
“When we're talking about performance decisions, riders, staff and stuff like that, I feel like I've got quite a bit of knowledge with it. And then also when we're at the track, especially working with the riders, the vibe of the team and the feedback with the mechanics and helping the riders also understand feedback and then just being there to support 'em.”
Rahal has visions to grow his newfound programme into Superbike, the premier class of MotoAmerica, which comes through time, experience, and increasingly important partners like Ducati and XPEL.
“Well, there's no doubt about it that Superbike is on our mind,” Rahal says. “But I also think for our business model in selling Ducatis, Supersport is a very approachable category that relates very well with our consumer base. If you look at the products that we have on these bikes, too, what they've been built with, these are products that we can sell in our stores. These are things that our customers can have.
“Yes the goal is to go to Superbike, but I don't think we'll ever turn our back on Supersport. It relates very, very well to our customer base, which is important as we try to build; whether it's Ducati in Indianapolis or in Cleveland, we strategically went this route because I felt that it worked very well for our brand.”
As for Yaakov, even with youth on her side, she carries the sort of maturity that suggests no moment is too big regardless of the significance. Ultimately, there’s a trust in the process with Rahal and Spies.
“It's going to be a challenge and each step of the way you have to learn,” Yaakov says. “We have to take it slow. It's really easy to get excited, especially when you have guys like Ben and Graham saying that. But we have to be consistent throughout the year and continue to learn and continue to develop.
“These guys have put together a really good programme. I have a good group of people around me to help me achieve my goals this year. And even for the future, like Graham was talking about, this is something we've put in place so that we have steps for the future, not just for this year, and it's really cool to see.”
Yaakov’s expectations in the step up to Supersport are moderate, at least in the short term. The thought early on is simply gaining experience and continuing to progress. If that happens, she has complete confidence the results, including wins, will follow. The priority, though, is simply to keep improving. Considering all of this, along with the weight of words that Spies shared in Yaakov’s speed, she carries a unique perspective on representing women in motorsports while also wanting to solely be recognised as the best rider in the field.
“Yeah, it's kind of like a double-edged sword to be honest,” Yaakov says. “I enjoy being the role model for hopefully other girls, whether that be in the sport or just Americans, for them to start going to Mini races and going up through Mini GP into the ranks of, say, MotoAmerica or into Europe.
“At the same time, you always have those people that tell you the only reason you're here is because you're a girl. Here's this great accomplishment, but it's only for a category that I'm a female, which can be kind of frustrating because I'd rather be acknowledged as a first-time winner in the class than a first-time female in the class.
"You could still be a feminine person and be a female in a sport and succeed, especially in a male-dominated sport. It's just takes everything you got, just like everyone else" Kayla Yaakov
“But at the same, it's really awesome because I do think it empowers women and especially girls that are looking up to hopefully do the same things I do; not be scared to step outside of the box and do something more masculine. You could still be a feminine person and be a female in a sport and succeed, especially in a male-dominated sport. It's just takes everything you got, just like everyone else. It's a double-edged sword, but either way, I'm really happy to be representing women in motorsport.”
“If she keeps progressing, she can beat the boys too, in the top category,” adds Spies. “You're not in your peak until you are kind of early twenties, and that's if you've done everything the right way.”
The scheduling mishap that is unfortunately keeping Rahal from seeing his team debut in Daytona is going to be a trend, for this year at least. There are several date clashes between the IndyCar Series and MotoAmerica in 2024, although he remains optimistic to attend a couple of events. Additionally, his MotoAmerica team will be in attendance to watch him compete in Sunday’s 100-lap race on the Streets of St. Petersburg.
Although Rahal is the first to admit winning in their debut in Daytona is “pretty far-fetched,” he recognises the countless hours and exhaustive efforts to elevate the team off the ground, specifically noting Compton.
“The reality is that we put a hell of a lot into this, and fingers crossed, we can have an awesome effort down there,” Rahal says.
For Spies, who was garnering plenty of attention from teams in Europe prior to taking on this endeavour, Rahal’s programme is reminiscent of a factory effort. All of that begs the question, what can Rahal Ducati Moto accomplish in 2024?
“A lot,” Spies says. “That's why that's, that's the only reason I've basically come 'outta retirement'. I've had a couple little opportunities to come back.”
Upon hearing that, Rahal quickly interjects: “Does that mean you going to ride?” Spies replies: “See Graham, he won't stop it with that. He just not going to stop it.”
Spies then returns to the answer the original question: “I expect great things. But the core group of people, with the Rahals, the sponsors and the shop, just everything about it, I just kind of call it a factory effort. So, it's going to be fun to watch.”
