In the spotlight this week: Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal.
What’s fun besides racing?
Graham Rahal: Pretty much my life. If I’m not IndyCar racing, I’m here with Courtney (Force; fiancée), but fun for me is probably golf, college football. I’m a big Ohio State Buckeye fan. In fact, Courtney would tell you I watch way too much football. It really frustrates her.
What’s the top item on your bucket list?
Rahal: I’d like to go to an Olympics at some point. I think that would be something pretty cool to experience, to see. But I feel like winning an Indy 500 is my one bucket list item.
Your go-to on movie night is:
Rahal: Courtney pretty much picks. If it were me I’d say some good action film like Lone Survivor, Captain Phillips or Zero Dark Thirty. Any of those good action ones, but hers would be like Breakfast at Tiffany’s or something like that.
What’s one item that’s always in your grocery bag?
Rahal: Probably avocado or egg white or something healthy. On the unhealthy side, if you’ve never had any, Kona Brewing Company makes a Big Wave beer, it’s pretty unreal so that’s probably in there too.
Most memorable fan interaction?
Rahal: Probably Milwaukee, I’m going to say 2012, I’m sitting there and this kid comes running up to me “Sign my forehead! Sign my forehead!?” I’m like hold on a second, that’s probably not something I should be doing. Mom came up and said “Yeah, go ahead, do it all you want,” so I signed this kid’s forehead. It felt like it was straight out of the movie Talladega Nights, but it’s happened.
What’s fun besides racing? | What’s the top item on your bucket list? | Your go-to on movie night: | One item that’s always in your grocery bag? | Most memorable fan interaction: | |
Cole Whitt | Fishing | Visiting Bora Bora | God’s Not Dead | Ground Turkey | Getting called by the wrong name |
Joey Logano
|
Nothing | Winning a Martinsville clock | Miracle | Yogurt | Signing an arm so they could have it tattooed on |
Ron Capps | Watching other racing | Going into space | Something with Will Ferrell in it | A receipt | Visiting the Zoo at Brainerd |
Casey Mears | Playing with my kids | Winning another Sprint Cup race | Good Will Hunting | Eggs | Meeting with U.S. soldiers |
Alexis DeJoria | Family adventures | Bungee jumping | Something horror or sci fi | Vegetable juices | A fan who cried when she met me |
Ryan Newman | Anything outdoors | Nothing-enjoy life every day! | Tombstone | Bread | Anytime a kid asks a question |
David Gilliland | Riding 4-wheelers | Deep-sea fishing in Alaska | Days of Thunder | Bananas | Getting mistaken for Travis Kvapil (happens a lot) |
Fast Jack Beckman | Surfing | Skydiving | Any movie, especially action or sci-fi | Bananas | Hanging out with 11-year-old Jacob Delling |
Brad Keselowski | Personal growth | Winning another Cup title | Forrest Gump | Flowers for my girlfriend | All of them-it’s not fair to rate them! |
Spencer Massey | Traveling and driving | Winning an NHRA Mello Yello title | Caddyshack | Frozen pizzas | Their reaction to Gatornationals win |
Brendan Gaughan | Kids | SCUBA diving in the Galapagos | Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, and The Princess Bride | Toilet paper | Too many to choose from |
J.R. Todd
|
Hanging with high school buddies | Winning an NHRA championship | Get Hard | Water | There’s one oddball at every race… |
Landon Cassill | Anything outside | Visiting Europe | Game of Thrones on Netflix | Avocados | A little girl named Riley |
Del Worsham | Boating | Nothing; done it all | A drama | Milk | Sharing 10,000 HP margarita machine with them |
Austin Dillon | Playing soccer | Flying an F-16 fighter jet | Top Gun | Coca-Cola | Signing a baby |
Richard Childress | Something outdoors | Winning another Cup championship | Something with Clint Eastwood | Childress Vineyards wine | A lot of them! |
Morgan Shepherd | Roller skating | Getting the No. 89 in some more races | Doesn’t watch movies | Broccoli and carrots | A girl who wanted her underwear signed |
Matt DiBenedetto | Driving my Corvette and playing raquetball | Racing in the Sprint Cup Series | Days of Thunder | Steak | Whenever people appreciate you |
Carl Edwards | Backpacking | Winning the Cup championship / base jumping | Smokey and the Bandit | Cereal…lots of cereal | When little kids come up who love the sport |
Matt Hagan | Farming | Taking part in a tractor pull | American Sniper | Steak | Having someone propose in the pits |
Ward Burton | Being away from the track | Knowing family is in a good place | Military documentaries | 6-pack of Yuengling | All the kids |
John Hunter Nemechek | Wake surfing | Winning a Sprint Cup championship | American Sniper | Fruit | Anything with the younger generation |
Justin Allgaier | Wake surfing and golfing right now | Skydiving | American Sniper or Frozen | Fruit | One lady almost passed out, she was so excited |
Tony Schumacher | Harley riding | Skydiving in a squirrel suit | Mr. Destiny | Pretzels | Make-A-Wish kids |
Josh Wise | Playing with kids | Wining a Sprint Cup race | Something funny | Almond butter or peanut butter | A random message from a teacher in England |
Matt Kenseth | Nothing | Doing things with the kids | Not much time to watch TV | Katie does the shopping! | A guy who asked to have his girlfriend’s underwear signed |
Alex Bowman | Working on cars | Road trip through Europe | Entourage on TV | Doc 360 | Riding through the campground at Martinsville |
Daniel Hemric | Working on race cars | Skydive solo | Days of Thunder | Gum | Visiting a children’s hospital |
John Force | Racing with granddaughter Autumn | Win another championship | Mad Max | Toothpaste, champagne, and energy drink | Autographing a pig |
Sam Hornish, Jr. | Projects, especially with daughters | Hiking the Appalachian Trail | The Departed | Monster | Being cussed out for refusing to sign a body part |
Graham Rahal | Golf & college football | Winning the Indianapolis 500 | Fiancée Courtney usually picks! | Kona Big Wave Beer | Signing a kid’s forehead |
About the author
A writer for Frontstretch since 2002, and editor since 2006, Toni heads up the NHRA coverage for the site. She’s responsible for post-race coverage in the weekly Pace Laps multi-series round-up along with the weekly Nitro Shots column featuring news and features from the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. An award-winning former writer for the Presbyterian Church, Toni works in web design and freelances with writing in North Carolina.
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