Graham Rahal was helpless.

Desperate to close the gap between he and Mid-Ohio race leader Josef Newgarden, there was nothing the third-place driver could do but fume as he watched Newgarden slip further and further away from his grasp.

Rahal was trapped behind the lapped, last-place car of Carlos Munoz, who was using push-to-pass to keep Rahal from maneuvering around him and chasing down Newgarden.

“How much time did I lose (trying to get around him)? Ten seconds? More?” A frustrated Rahal asked after the race. “And he’s on overtake every single straightaway, it’s like, come on. You know? Come on.”

Rahal believes it is best for the sport if back-of-the pack drivers showed more respect in these scenarios and let frontrunners pass and battle each other for the lead.

But Will Power has a different, more tangible solution for Rahal's problem.

More:IndyCar's future in Long Beach secure for 'years to come'

J.R. Hildebrand on future: ‘There’s still time to shape our season’

Rahal, Power: Mid-Ohio robbed of thrilling ending

Love our motor sports coverage? Download the free INSports app

The Team Penske star proposes that push-to-pass only be enabled on cars actually trying to make a pass. In his mind, push-to-pass should be an offensive weapon only.

Not only would this rule tweak -- which has garnered support in the past from people such as Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull-- solve Rahal’s problem of getting stuck behind a lapped car, but it would help create more excitement at tracks like Mid-Ohio, which have short straightaways and have historically produced pedestrian races.

“That would create a lot more passing at tracks like this,” Power said after many bemoaned a race that lacked on-track action. “A lot more, because then you don't have people replying. If they want really good racing, that's (what I’d do).”

Fellow IndyCar drivers see the merit in Power’s proposal. They recognize that the on-track product at places like Mid-Ohio probably isn't very appealing to fans, but they aren't sure Power's proposal is the best way to remedy the problem.

Dale Coyne Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais expressed concern with how a rule like that would be regulated when cars are in a pack. When a collection of cars get bunched together, how can IndyCar determine who is using overtake offensively and who is using it defensively?

Another issue with Power's proposal is that it could make the leader a sitting duck, said 2018 Indy car test driver Oriol Servia.

What’s to stop someone, the Spaniard suggested, from closely trailing the leader until the final lap and then using push-to-pass to go around and win the race? It doesn’t seem fair that the leader couldn’t defend his position.

“Actually, then he’ll be first one to hate it,” Servia said with a laugh. “Because Mr. Speedy Power many times is leading, so he would be the sitting duck.”

Servia added that eliminating the defensive use of P2P would rid the sport of a strategy game he and other drivers are fond of playing.

“I usually agree with Mr. Power on most things, and I see his point, but on this one I disagree, because I like that it’s a bit of strategy game for both sides,” Servia said. “The guy behind can make you believe he’s on it, so you push it. It’s all part of the strategy.”

J.R. Hildebrand said that while Power's solution might not be perfect, he would be interested in tinkering with the current system. Others however, feel the system is fine as is.

“I can’t agree with Will on this,” Marco Andretti said. “I’m happy with where we are on push-to-pass. I think it’s really good. There’s strategy involved about conserving it and figuring out when you want to use it.”

Where all drivers do agree, however, is in their hope the 2018 aero kit will help remedy the problem to an extent. With a smaller rear wing and the downforce generated from the bottom of the car, the 2018 car is supposed to create less turbulence for trailing cars to deal with when attempting to pass.

Servia said after the Mid-Ohio test this past week that when he ran close behind fellow test driver Juan Pablo Montoya, the air was much cleaner than it is in the current cars. But, he added, even the new kit won't solve IndyCar's entertainment issue on some road courses.

So even though he's not a fan of Power's proposal, "there's always room to tweak things like this and improve them."

Follow IndyStar Motor Sports Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter and Instagram: @jimayello.