RLL seeks to conquer Barber’s flowing nature, and improve qualifying - MotorSportsTalk

For as diverse and detailed a history as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has in the Verizon IndyCar Series, they haven’t yet found much success at Barber Motorsports Park. Put that down primarily to a lack of opportunity.

This year marks RLL’s third crack at the picturesque Birmingham, Ala. circuit, and the latest chance for the team to find those extra couple tenths in qualifying that could make their Sundays easier.

Graham Rahal’s best Barber effort came two years ago, a spirited and fighting effort from eighth on the grid to fourth then driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Teammate Oriol Servia went from sixth to fifth for Newman/Haas Racing in 2011 as his best Barber weekend.

Rahal, though, needs to improve his qualifying starting this weekend. With grid positions of 21st and 23rd in the first two races, Rahal has left himself a bunch of work on Sundays. Granted, he’s made two brilliant starts at both St. Petersburg and Long Beach, but he would probably prefer to be starting better from higher up on the grid in the No. 15 National Guard Honda.

“It shows we have the race craft and the pace to be up front, but we must qualify better,” Rahal admitted in the team’s pre-race advance. “In St. Pete I made a huge mistake and I think Long Beach we simply struggled. Again though, when it comes time to race we can run with anyone.”

Servia, who is in his second of four scheduled races in the second car, the No. 16 Honda, at least has the baseline of testing at Barber earlier this year and now a full race weekend complete back with the RLL team.

“Unfortunately what was supposed to be a two-day test ended up being shortened to just one afternoon which was barely enough to get my rust off from the long winter,” said the Catalan, who impressed by qualifying 12th and finishing seventh at Long Beach. “Now coming here with one full race weekend under our belts I feel much better prepared and ready to grab the bull by the horns!”

You can see how well the RLL pair does starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday on NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra.

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Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.

Seattle Supercross numbers — *Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports*

For the fifth time in 10 rounds. Sexton, Webb, and Eli Tomac shared the podium in Detroit. Between them, the trio has taken 23 podiums, leaving only seven for the remainder of the field. Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia have two each with Aaron Plessinger scoring the other.

Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.

Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.

Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.

The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.

In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.

Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.

Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.

Last Five Seattle Winners

450s
2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto

250s
2022: Hunter Lawrence
2019: Dylan Ferrandis
2018: Aaron Plessinger
2017: Aaron Plessinger
2014: Cole Seely

By the Numbers

Detroit
Indianapolis
Daytona
Arlington
Oakland
Tampa
Houston
Anaheim 2
San Diego

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How to Watch Seattle Supercross
Dylan Ferrandis may return before SX finale
SMX develops “Leader Lights”
Power Rankings after Detroit
Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan
Results and points after Detroit
Chase Sexton wins in Detroit, penalized seven points

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