Christian Lundgaard wins 2022 IndyCar rookie of 12 months

September 12, 2022

MONTEREY, California – When a younger, 19-year-old driver from Denmark arrived on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the highway course race on August 14, 2021, there was little identified about him.

Simply who was this Christian Lundgaard and why was he being given a trip from workforce proprietor Bobby Rahal?

He shortly confirmed why by qualifying fourth for his IndyCar debut. Lundgaard would end the race 12th, however he proved to Rahal that he was able to competing within the NTT IndyCar Sequence.

Through the offseason, Rahal signed Lundgaard to a full-season trip within the No. 30 Honda at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Lundgaard rewarded him by successful the 2022 IndyCar Sequence Rookie of the Yr Award – 40 years after Rahal was IndyCar’s high rookie in 1982.

“I’ve compatriots in Europe that I’ve trusted through the years, and everyone stated, ‘You’ve bought to provide this man Christian Lundgaard a shot,’ ” Rahal recalled. “(They stated,) ’He’s the true deal.’

“So, we agreed, and we requested Christian to drive on the Harvest Grand Prix a 12 months in the past. He places it fourth on the grid.

“Much more importantly, I feel he helped develop a automotive in that quick time period, helped develop the automotive, gave us some path on the automotive. That paid off for us the rest of the 12 months. A lot of the setup on that got here from the bindings that we bought by way of Christian at Indy.

“It’s not a fluke if you carry out like that. There’s substance to that. We believed that Christian may very well be one thing particular. He’s very younger, and we’re additionally wanting on the future, and we thought, ‘Yeah, it is a man that we need to have on this workforce for now and for the long run.’ ”

Lundgaard completed 14th in te factors standings, forward of rookies David Malukas (16th), Callum Ilott (20th), Develin DeFrancesco (23rd) and Kyle Kirkwood (24th).

“I’m simply so happy for Christian,” Rahal stated. “Rookie 12 months, each monitor exterior of Indy GP was a brand new circuit. You go to Texas, that’s an intimidating place. You go to Toronto; you go to Iowa. This younger man needed to be taught as finest he may these circuits in a really quick time period.

“I’d prefer to suppose we as a workforce helped him, however nonetheless, if you get on the market and also you begin going, it’s type of like holy (bleep) — sorry, holy smokes — it is a completely different place.

“So, I’m actually happy not only for Christian, however I’m actually happy for his workforce, his group. Ben Segal, his engineer who was new to us this 12 months and new to Christian. That is type of a starting course of, and so they actually, over the course of the 12 months, grew collectively, and the outcomes we see right this moment are a mirrored image of that.”

On the three-driver RLL workforce, Graham Rahal completed the season 11th and Jack Harvey completed 22nd within the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda.

So, how is Lundgaard going to have a good time his IndyCar Rookie of the Yr title?

“I’m going to Vegas,” he stated. “I’m going again to my room, having a shower, after which we’re jetting off to Vegas tonight.”

Rahal quipped, “Properly, he’s getting a bonus from someplace else as a result of it isn’t from me.”

Lundgaard, who in August signed a multiyear contract extension to stay at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, stated, “I’ve bought a contract. I suppose that’s my bonus.”

Along with getting a brand new contract, he additionally impressed the IndyCar paddock.

Lundgaard was capable of turn into the “Nice Dane” by driving quick but in addition controlling the automotive. Whereas a lot of his fellow rookies made errors this season, Lundgaard not often was criticized by different drivers for an error — even whereas he started racing on ovals for the primary time in his life.

In Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca, Lundgaard completed simply behind Felix Rosenqvist of Arrow McLaren SP.

“Powerful race,” Rahal stated. “Tires are all over. Methods are all over. This younger man, as we noticed in Portland — yeah, slightly mistake. However Indy, what have you ever, he was there. He was mixing it up with the highest guys.

“All I can inform you is we’re actually enthusiastic about subsequent 12 months, and we’re doing all the pieces we will to be sure that Christian, Graham, Jack have the vehicles they should actually determine within the championship.”

Lundgaard’s finest end this season was a second place to race winner Alexander Rossi within the Gallagher Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course on July 30.

“I feel really this race right this moment may need been one of many higher races we’ve had all 12 months,” Lundgaard stated. “I feel we weren’t actually aggressive all weekend. We have been type of there however probably not there. We didn’t qualify properly sufficient. We have been good on the blacks, however as quickly as we put the reds on there was simply no tempo.

“We did the job right this moment, and I’m simply pleased that the workforce gave me the chance to be right here and obtain this. I’m grateful for Bobby. Thanks for giving me this chance and conserving me. I’m pleased about that. Now I’ve bought one other championship to win.

“You solely get one shot on the rookie championship, so getting it was a giant achievement for me.”

<em>Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Christian Lundgaard takes a selfie with girlfriend Anna Briand earlier than ending a career best second within the IndyCar race July 30 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course Marc LebrykUSA TODAY Sports activities Photographs<em>

Group proprietor Rahal admits that in some ways, Lundgaard was the shining star of his race workforce.

“It has been a troublesome 12 months for us,” Rahal admitted. “The primary third or half of the 12 months, it was very spotty. We didn’t give our drivers, Christian, Graham or Jack, the vehicles that they deserved to have.

“Having stated that, everyone pulled themselves collectively and type of figured it out. In all probability since, I suppose, Toronto or simply earlier than Toronto, the efficiency as a workforce elevated measurably in comparison with the place we have been, after which we actually noticed what our drivers may do.

“As a driver, and I’ve been there, when you don’t have the fitting gear, I don’t care how good you might be, you’re not going to have the ability to present it. However this workforce actually got here collectively. There was quite a lot of laborious work all through the workforce.

“It was robust. Midpoint of the season, it was robust. However everyone stayed the course, labored actually laborious, and we noticed the enhancements within the efficiency total.”

In 2020, a rookie driver from Spain joined Dale Coyne Racing and was so spectacular, he was employed by Chip Ganassi Racing the next 12 months. That driver from Alex Palou, who gained the 2021 NTT IndyCar Sequence championship and in addition gained Sunday’s race.

May the identical factor occur with Lundgaard in IndyCar?

“I feel all the pieces is feasible,” Lundgaard stated. “I’m not racing to complete second, so I’ll give it my finest shot.”

His workforce proprietor is definitely offered on that concept of a championship with Lundgaard coming within the close to future.

“Properly, we wouldn’t have taken our possibility up on him if we didn’t suppose,” Rahal stated. “I feel Christian is a giant a part of the way forward for RLL, and as you noticed earlier this week, we’re bringing individuals in to assist increase the sport of RLL, and I feel mixed — there’s Christian, clearly, different new individuals coming in, and the entire concept, we’re right here to win, and we really feel that Christian can win.

“I feel he confirmed that this 12 months. I imply, at Harvest Grand Prix, we gained the race as a result of we have been the primary authorized automotive.”

Rahal was referring to the truth that winner Rossi’s automotive failed postrace technical inspection as a result of a water bottle put the automotive obese. Rossi was docked factors however saved the win.

“That’s true,” Lundgaard stated. “We did rating probably the most factors.”

“Simply saying …,” Rahal replied.

Though Lundgaard got here up by way of the European ladder system, he believes IndyCar is his racing house, quite than Formulation One.

“I’ve watched IndyCar earlier than,” Lundgaard unhappy. “Really, I might say I’ve watched many highway programs and road circuits as a result of I nonetheless observe F1. I nonetheless observe some junior classes. I even nonetheless observe some go-kart races. I might say I did earlier than coming over right here.

“After I bought the chance to check at Barber, I wouldn’t say no anyway, as a result of I just like the problem of a brand new automotive simply to drive the automotive and get to know America.

“However I fell in love with it, and I’m right here, and I find it irresistible.

“I gained’t depart.”

Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500 

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