Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Faces Wheel Detachment Challenges at Detroit Grand Prix
Following a troubling series of rear wheel detachments at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) president Jay Frye has confirmed that investigations have not identified a singular cause for the issues affecting their drivers. Graham Rahal experienced a left rear wheel detachment in the pre-race warmup and subsequently lost his right rear during the race. Devlin DeFrancesco faced a similar fate with his right rear wheel.
“There is not a really a smoking gun, but we’re re-evaluating many different things,” Frye stated in an interview with RACER. “From the shelf life of wheels and wheel nuts to maintenance practices and pit stop procedures, we’re analyzing everything to prevent future occurrences. Multiple factors contributed to these incidents.”
The Detroit race proved to be particularly punishing for RLL. While Rahal qualified fifth and rookie teammate Louis Foster impressed with a 14th-place starting position, both drivers faced significant setbacks. Rahal ultimately finished 20th, while DeFrancesco placed 23rd due to their wheel issues.
Foster, the lone driver to finish with his car intact, encountered failure in his right-front suspension during the race, resulting in a crash that destroyed his chassis. Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist, who was also collected in the incident, sustained damages but has since had his car repaired. Foster will debut a new chassis during Saturday morning’s practice ahead of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
