Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) co-owner Bobby Rahal believes Jack Harvey has what it takes to be an IndyCar Series race winner.
The Englishman made his IndyCar Series debut in 2017, though the 2020 campaign was his first as a full-timer.
After two full-time seasons with Meyer Shank Racing, Harvey announced his departure, subsequently signing up with RLL.
Rahal Snr, who won the 1986 Indianapolis 500, sees potential in Harvey.
“I’ve seen his pace on the tracks, and I’ve seen what he can do, in qualifying and in race day,” said Rahal.
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“I don’t think there’s any question that he has the capability, and for us now, it’s all about giving him the team around him to really take it to the next level, which is to put it in victory lane, and I think there’s no doubt that he can do that.
“That excites all of us within RLL, because again, it’s all about putting our best foot forward, and I think Jack is an example of that.”
Between Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato, the team has been consistently in or around the top 10 for several years.
Rahal wound up seventh at the 2021 season’s end, claiming a podium at Texas Motor Speedway in a year that saw him finish inside the top 10 on 11 occasions.
Sato was similarly solid, finishing 11th in the drivers’ championship and claiming eight top 10 finishes.
Harvey, who finished 13th this year, said he was drawn to RLL for several reasons.
“I really enjoyed my initial chats with Bobby and with Mike [Lanigan], the ambition of the team, and honestly what really drew me to the team was they were having a good season, but that wasn’t enough,” Harvey explained.
“I feel ready to have an expanded role, I guess. I’m really excited to get on track. I feel that my time at MSR [Meyer Shank Racing] has served me really well, and I feel ready to win.
“The things I loved about the team was there’s still things I need to work on, and I feel like the team has a lot of infrastructure and support to help me grow both as a driver and as a person.
“But to me it wasn’t one thing that hammered it home. It was from the get-go, from our first conversations to now, I’ve just been so impressed with the hunger and desire of the team.
“There’s so many things to look forward to with this team, and honestly I’m just really grateful to be a small part of it but obviously a big part of it come race day.
“But it takes a village; you can’t just do it on your own. A lot of people have helped me to get here, and just excited for the future at this point.”
With Rahal in the #15 and Harvey in the #45 confirmed, it leaves just the #30 unaccounted for.
The team said it is targeting an end-of-month announcement for that remaining seat.
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