Graham Rahal gives a no-nonsense verdict on billionaire Roger Penske's lackluster marketing efforts for IndyCar

Graham Rahal has given an honest verdict on billionaire Roger Penske's lackluster efforts to promote IndyCar. Penske bought IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the fall of 2019 and recently sold a third of both to media partner FOX.

While Rahal lauded the 88-year-old billionaire for bringing "stability" to IndyCar, he wasn't satisfied with Penske Entertainment's uninspired marketing efforts. In a recent appearance on the Speed Street podcast hosted by fellow driver Conor Daly, the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver explained his stance, saying:

"I'm all for Roger, I'm all for Penske Entertainment. I think they brought a level of stability to the sport. But I'll just flat-out say it. I'm not all for their marketing tactics. I don't think anybody is. Maybe I say it and others won't, but I don't think anybody is for their marketing tactics."

IndyCar's biggest lost opportunity this year was the severe lack of promotion for the Iowa doubleheader in July. There was no mention of the race on the official social media accounts of the Iowa Speedway, which was busy promoting the NASCAR race a month in advance. The out-of-home marketing was no better, with barely any billboards promoting the IndyCar race.

IndyCar's Iowa Race Weekend - Source: Getty

Conor Daly fully agreed with Graham Rahal's stance. The latter also spoke about FOX's recent investment in the series, which he expects to provide the necessary stimulus for progress.

"Something needs a little kick in the ass here, and that's what I think we're going to get," the 37-year-old said about FOX's increased involvement with IndyCar.

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Graham Rahal urges FOX to look beyond Pato O'Ward and Josef Newgarden for its IndyCar marketing

FOX began its marketing of IndyCar in 2025 by focusing on three drivers - reigning champion Alex Palou, reigning two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, and the series' most popular driver, Pato O'Ward. The focus remained on the trio for most of the season, which Graham Rahal believes was a blunder.

In the aforementioned podcast, the 37-year-old said:

"You can't put your eggs in two baskets. I mean, Pato... star. Pato connects with fans on a level no other driver does. Pato's the man. He's huge. But I think what they've learned this year with Josef is like you can't put all your eggs into that basket because you may have a guy that has a bad year."

"Not saying he's irrelevant because Josef Newgarden is never going to be irrelevant. But they need to diversify against 10 guys, 12 guys. They need to build more names. They need to have more ads. I think that's the biggest thing that maybe FOX needs to learn."

Graham Rahal is in his 19th year in IndyCar. The six-time race winner has a sharp business acumen. He owns a performance shop called Graham Rahal Performance, which has transformed into a booming business. His family also owns Honda dealerships.

On the racetrack, the 37-year-old is having a bittersweet season. Rahal's qualifying performance has been sublime, with him making it to the Fast 6 on multiple race weekends. Race pace, however, has been a core issue for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.