NHLR deal not done, Rahal stays with Fisher for LB

Graham Rahal in the Sarah Fisher Dollar General car at St. Pete

Sarah Fisher Racing and Dollar General have added the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach to its 2010 IZOD IndyCar ® Series schedule with driver Graham Rahal after the rumored deal between Rahal and Newman Haas Lanigan Racing failed to get done in time.

"SFR is very thankful to Dollar General and Direct Supply to give us the opportunity to compete on the Streets of Long Beach for the first time," said team owner/driver Sarah Fisher, who will return to her IZOD IndyCar Series car at Kansas Speedway on May 1. "Graham had been very excited about the potential of putting this together from the start of his time with the team. I am proud of where we have been able to go in such a short period of time. Certainly the idea of growing a program past the set budget was a difficult task for everyone involved, but knowing Graham will do a great job on and off the track makes every effort worth it."

Rahal, who scored SFR's first top-10 finish at St. Petersburg, will make his fourth Indy car start on the streets of Long Beach where he finished 12th last season.

"I'm extremely excited to be joining SFR yet again for Long Beach," Rahal said. "It is certainly one of the greatest sporting events, and I am just proud to say that I will be returning again. I am very thankful for what Sarah, Direct Supply, and the Dollar General folks have done to extend their program with SFR, and we will be working extremely hard to make them proud."

Dollar General continues to support SFR in their endeavors towards a full season effort. The opportunities that Dollar General have given SFR have made an incredible impact on their growth, as SFR continually tries to add outside value to their program; Rahal has become one of those initiatives.

"We are pleased to have Graham Rahal drive the Dollar General car for an additional race this season," said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General's chairman and CEO. "Graham brings a winning record to our partnership, and we're excited to have him on our team."

Direct Supply is also partnering with the initiative of Rahal's campaign with SFR. This is Direct Supply's third season with the growing team. Indycar.com