"It pains me": Graham Rahal gets emotional remembering Justin Wilson 10 years after his fatal IndyCar incident

Graham Rahal has penned an emotional message for his former IndyCar teammate Justin Wilson, who passed away after sustaining fatal head injuries during the 2015 Pocono race. Sunday, August 24, marked 10 years since Wilson's death.

The incident happened after a lap 180 crash for rookie Sage Karam, which had caused the nose of his car to come free on the racetrack. The debris flew and hit Justin Wilson on his helmet, who lost control of his car, which slid downwards into the inside barrier head-first. The British driver, who was racing for Andretti Autosport, sustained severe head injuries and died in the hospital a day later.

He was the first driver since Dan Wheldon in 2011 to pass away owing to a dangerous IndyCar crash. Fortunately, IndyCar stepped up its safety measures in the years to come, with the life-saving aeroscreen, and has witnessed no deaths since.

Graham Rahal, who was teammates with Wilson at Newman/Haas Racing in 2008, shared a touching message for the late legend on Instagram. He shared a photo of them from the driver intros before the 2015 Pocono race, the ill-fated weekend of Wilson's death.

In the caption, Rahal, who is a father to two girls and has a third child on the way with wife Courtney Force, wrote a lengthy tribute to his former teammate and 'idol', who passed at 37 when his daughters, Jessica and Jane, were 5 and 7 years old.

"Just 2 friends. Walking to driver intros together, Pocono, 2015. I can’t forget these moments, they flash through my eyes frequently. 10 years, where has time gone. It pains me, it pains many of us. Justin Wilson was one of a kind, a gentle giant, the greatest of racers, and the OG girl dad. That’s what hurts the most. Nearly daily I think about him, I think about Juls, I think about the girls and the Wilson family. Oh, how proud he’d be to see how grown up and beautiful his girls are now," he wrote.

Graham Rahal then spoke about how lucky he was to have Justin Wilson as his teammate when he joined Newman/Haas in 2008 at the age of 19.

"As a 19 year old, learning this big world of professional auto racing, I couldn’t have been more lucky to have this man by my side. I idolized him. His talents. His compassion. His fierceness behind the wheel. His class. His competitiveness. His height (SDS)! Most of all, the human being he was. I try my best to carry on those qualities for my young teammates, and newcomers in the sport. Always a shoulder to lean on, a person to answer any and all questions asked with honesty and integrity."

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver further wrote how he longed for "just one more conversation" with Wilson.

"I, like many, wish there was time for just one more conversation. But like some, can be at peace with the time we had, conversations held, drinks shared (I was legal in Australia), and the fairest of battles shared on the track. We miss you big man. See you on the others side. 🙏"

Graham Rahal organized a big online auction with eBay to raise money for Justin Wilson's family in the aftermath of his death. He called upon IndyCar, NASCAR, and F1 drivers to auction off their memorabilia, which ultimately raised $637,067. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver had done something similar when Dan Wheldon passed away after a fatal crash during the Las Vegas race in 2011.

When Graham Rahal replaced Justin Wilson's injured brother at the 2023 Indy 500: "Felt like it was my calling to jump in and help"

Graham Rahal at the 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

The month of the 2023 Indy 500 was one of mixed emotions for Graham Rahal. He couldn't qualify for the premier IndyCar race, with RLL teammate Jack Harvey edging him out of the top 33. However, in a practice session before the race, Justin Wilson's brother, Stefan Wilson, who had made it to the 33-driver grid, crashed and broke his vertebrae.

Dreyer and Reinbold Racing boss called upon Rahal to replace him in the No. 24 car. Graham Rahal shared that he wouldn't have loved being a replacement entry if it weren't for his deep connection with the Wilson family.

"In some other situations, I don't think that it would have excited me as much," he said via Motorsport. "But being that it was Stef, and being that it was a Wilson, and in the situation that it was in, I just felt like it was my calling to jump in and help."

Graham Rahal would go on to finish 22nd in the race after starting dead last in 33rd. He finished five laps down, and the gain in positions was a result of many drivers crashing out.