last-place finish in the Indianapolis 500. He struggled all month at Indy to find speed and then was plagued by an early electrical issue that ended his race.

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DETROIT (AP) -- Graham Nike Hypervenom Phantom Rahal showed early speed in Friday practice at Belle Isle, where he posted the 10th fastest speed in the second session. It was a promising start for Rahal, who is coming off a last-place finish in the Indianapolis 500. He struggled all month at Indy to find speed and then was plagued by an early electrical issue that ended his race. "We have had a lot of bad luck this year and everyone is fired up," Rahal said. "We're obviously not happy about our point standing, but if you look at the season from the standpoint of our potential finishes, it's encouraging." Rahal is 23rd in the IndyCar Nike Hypervenom Phantom FG Series standing, one spot behind Kurt Busch, who was a one-off in the Indy 500. Rahal has run all five events this season, with a best finish of 13th Soccer Cleats Outlet at Long Beach. He was on track for a better finish there until he was spun late in the race by rookie Mikhail Aleshin. "At Long Beach we would have had a top-five had we not Nike Hypervenom Phelon been punted and at the Indy road race we would have had a top-five at a minimum if we hadn't been punted," he said. "To have the issues that we had in the Indy 500, too, put us further behind. We need some luck. "I think we're going to find that we are relatively competitive at times, but we definitely need some help from Lady Luck." Having a good car will help, and Rahal was encouraged headed into the first race of the doubleheader weekend. Qualifying for Saturday's race is Saturday, and Sunday's field will be set before the second race. "The National Guard car seems to be very competitive and Cheap Soccer Cleats that's all we can ask for," he said. "It seems we're right in the thick of it. I'm pretty happy with our pace. I brushed the wall in Practice 2 and ended our day about 15 minutes early but we're pretty quick and competitive. I think the things we found in Long Beach with the setup are starting to pay off." © 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms