Graham Rahal and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to possibly swap cars in future

This weekend marks the kick-off weekend for the 2014 Verizon IndyCar season as all the drivers will look to claim the first victory of the year at St. Petersburg. One of those drivers will be Graham Rahal, who enters this year with a new sponsors on his IndyCar – the National Guard.

Though beyond the season opener, Rahal has been in the news as of late due to a recent conversation that transpired on twitter between him and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Rahal suggested the idea of the pair doing a ‘ride swap’ down the road.

Hey @DaleJr want to do a ride swap, you drive my @NationalGuard @IndyCar, I jump in yours?!

— Graham Rahal (@GrahamRahal) March 24, 2014

The result was a series of tweets between them both with regards to the possibilities of what track to do the swap at. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Sprint Cup Series owner Rick Hendrick has also given his a-okay on the idea.

Would Rick Hendrick let @DaleJr swap cars w @GrahamRahal? “If he wants to do that, that’s fine. Not race, but drive.”

— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) March 25, 2014

Rahal said that he simply threw the thought out there as it’s something that he’s really interested in doing.

“I was surprised he responded,” Rahal added. “Of course, I felt with the National Guard that it could potentially I would say happen. Media-wise, for sponsor exposure, I think it would be tremendous for them. But I also thought it would be something that would be fun to do.

“There’s been a lot of Cup guys jumping in an IndyCar. Kurt Busch is going to be doing it in the month of May. Jimmie Johnson and others have been always interested.

“We have a tie here now. Let’s see getting Earnhardt and a Rahal, I think the last time those two names were on the same track were the IROC days with my dad. It would be good to go back out there and see what we could do, have some fun.”

Rahal added they’ll have to see if things work out as timing it all together will be the toughest part.

“But I feel like if we both want to do it, there’s a desire of course, National Guard, it would be a big deal for them, I think we can definitely make it happen,” Rahal continued.