Graham Rahal's Indy 500 run ended in devastating fashion after he lost a tire and crashed

Graham Rahal's Indy 500 ended early this year.

Graham Rahal’s 2021 Indianapolis 500 run ended in heartbreaking fashion when his No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing lost a tire and sent Rahal into the wall on Sunday.

One of the favorites to win, Rahal was racing for his first Indy 500 win in his 14th start.

He qualified 18th for the race, made his way to the front of the field and led 18 laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s iconic 2.5-mile oval. Not long after the halfway point of the 200-lap, 500-mile race, Rahal went in to pit his car, but that stop didn’t appear to go well.

It looked like the left-rear tire was not fastened to the car properly before Rahal too off. So when he exited pit road, the tire came off the car for a nightmare situation. He spun out of control before crashing into the track’s outside wall in Turn 2, and his rogue tire bounced around the track before hitting Conor Daly’s No. 47 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.

Graham Rahal loses a wheel and hits the wall in the #Indy500.

The wheel then hits Conor Daly's aeroscreen, but Daly is able to continue. TV: @NBC. pic.twitter.com/dIeS5zg5qt

— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 30, 2021

After wrecking on Lap 119, Rahal was luckily able to climb out of his car, which was destroyed. Daly was able to continue racing, and here’s another look at that wheel coming at him head-on.

This is why we'll always feel thankful for the aeroscreen. #Indy500@ConorDaly22 hit Graham Rahal's loose wheel, but was able to continue. pic.twitter.com/eJ1W3OF8tm

— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 30, 2021

After being evaluated and cleared by the infield medical center, a devastated Rahal said, “This one’s hard to accept.” He told NBC Sports:

“It’s famous last words, but we had ’em. We had ’em. The fuel saving that we were doing, the car, you know, we were in the perfect spot. We were just cruising. … I feel like I was doing a good job in the car, we got ourselves where we needed to be. We *had* them today.”

Only the second driver out of the Indy 500 at that point, Rahal finished 32nd.

Let’s go @TakumaSatoRacer!!! Our 15 team is heartbroken, but an @RLLracing win would help greatly. This is hurting even more knowing i was the only one good in only one more stop, all of these guys needed 2. WE HAD THEM! Thank you all for your well wishes, I am ok.

— Graham Rahal (@GrahamRahal) May 30, 2021