RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING CONFIRMS TAKUMA SATO FOR 2019 LINEUP

News Release

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

September 16, 2018

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (September 16, 2018) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that Takuma Sato will return to the team in 2019.  Sato is the most recent winner in the IndyCar Series after having led 25 laps at the Grand Prix of Portland en route to his third series victory and first on a road course. It will be his third season with the team after having driven for RLL in 2012 and 2018.

“I’m very pleased that we were able to come to terms to extend Takuma’s contract,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with former CBS Late Show host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan.  “He has always been very popular around the team whether he was driving for us or not so therefore it makes it even more special to have him continue with us after this season. We have had some good success with Takuma and the potential was there for even more.  The team has really gelled around him. His guys have done a great job as the season has progressed and of course Portland showed that. It allows us to keep the continuity and good spirit going at the team to try to get even more wins and strong results in 2019.”

“I am really pleased to be back with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for 2019,” added Takuma Sato.  “Bobby, David and Mike have done a fantastic job at putting together a great team and environment around me.  I believe that Graham and I have everything we need to be consistent race winners and compete for the IndyCar championship.  I could not be happier.”

Sato, a native of Tokyo, Japan, has made 151 starts in the IndyCar Series since his rookie season in 2010.  His Indy car highlights include wins in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, the 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Portland Grand Prix.  He also has a total of eight podium finishes.  In addition, he has earned seven Indy car poles and led a total of 503 laps.  Prior to joining the IndyCar Series, he competed in 90 Formula One races between 2002-2008 with his highest finish of third at the 2003 United States Grand Prix.  While with RLL, his best finishes were third in Sao Paulo and second in Edmonton, which was his best series finish at the time.

About Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, based in Hilliard, Ohio and Brownsburg, Ind., is co-owned by three-time IndyCar Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, former CBS Late Show host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan.  In 2017 the team will compete in their 26th year of open wheel competition and attempt to add to their 23 wins – including the 2004 Indy 500 from pole with Buddy Rice — their 29 poles, 91 podium finishes and 1992 series championship.  The team also competed in the American Le Mans Series from 2009-2013 as BMW Team RLL where they won both the Manufacturer and Team Championships in the GT category in 2010 and swept all three GT titles in 2011 – Manufacturer, Team and Driver. In 2012, the team finished second in the Team Championship and third in the Manufacturer Championship and in 2013, the team finished second in the Driver, Team and Manufacturer Championship. In 2014, BMW Team RLL moved to the GTLM class of the United SportsCar Championship with a two-car program and earned six podium finishes including four second-place finishes. In 2015, the team earned three wins, two poles and a total of eight podiums to finish second in the Manufacturer, Team and Driver championships and in 2016, BMW Team RLL added two poles and three podiums with their BMW M6 GTLM entries to bring their total to 13 wins, 22 poles and 60 podium finishes. The team has earned two wins and a total of five podium finishes to date in 2017.