Rahal Letterman Racing

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Rahal Letterman Racing (RLR) is an auto racing team that currently races in the Indy Racing League. It is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and television talk show host and comedian David Letterman.

Contents

[edit] Champ Car years (1992-2003)

The team formed in 1992 after Rahal and partner Carl Hogan acquired the assets to the former Patrick Racing team in late 1991. At the time, it was known as Rahal-Hogan Racing. The team won the Champ Car title on their first try, with owner-driver Bobby Rahal. In 1993, Rahal-Hogan began the season with an updated version of the Truesports chassis, with the intention of introducing a brand-new Rahal-Hogan chassis later in the season, but switched to the more conventional Lola after Rahal failed to qualify at Indianapolis.

In 1994, Rahal-Hogan introduced the Honda engine to the Champ Car series, but split with the manufacturer after Rahal finished a disappointing 10th place in the standings. Honda had also endured the embarrassment of seeing Rahal borrow a Penske-Ilmor at Indianapolis in an effort to avoid repeating 1993's nonqualification. In 1996, the team changed its name to Team Rahal. Over the next few years, the team would employ Bryan Herta, Max Papis, Kenny Bräck and Michel Jourdain, Jr., getting closest to another title in 2001, when Bräck finished 2nd in points. Bobby Rahal retired from the sport at the end of 1998.

[edit] Indy Racing League years (2004-present)

The team changed its name again to Rahal Letterman Racing in May 2004.

For the 2005 season, RLR's three drivers were Buddy Rice, who won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 while driving for the team, Vitor Meira, who finished second in the 2005 Indianapolis 500, and Danica Patrick, who finished fourth in the 2005 Indianapolis 500, and had the highest finish of any female driver (3 previous) in the history of the Indianapolis 500.

Also in the 2005 Indianapolis 500, former team member Kenny Bräck, who was replaced by Rice when he suffered a serious injury in 2003, replaced Rice when he was injured in pre-race practice. Rice was able to recover in time to race in the next Indy Racing League race.

The Rahal-Letterman team had high hopes for 2006. Meira had left the team after the 2005 season to join Panther Racing. He was replaced by Paul Dana who brought an Ethanol sponsorship. [1]

The team placed three cars in the top nine for the Toyota Indy 300 during March 25, 2006, qualifying (Patrick third, Rice sixth, Dana ninth), and expected good things to come the next day for the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Unfortunately, tragedy took place during final practice Sunday morning. Vision Racing's Ed Carpenter crashed in turn two and the car slid down the 20-degree banking. Dana, who seemed to not receive the signal from the spotter, ran into the gearbox section of Carpenter's car, sending Dana's car flying on the backstretch. Dana died in the hospital later that afternoon, and the entire team, including Patrick and Rice, withdrew immediately.

Patrick and Rice raced together at St. Petersburg, Florida with the third car vacant out of respect, but effective the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 at Motegi, Japan, Jeff Simmons was added as the team's third driver. In mid 2006 the team switched from Panoz to Dallara chassis.

Prior to the 2006 Monterey Sportscar Championships, Rahal Letterman Racing announced that the team will be fielding a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR in the American Le Mans Series in 2007.

For the IRL's 2007 season, Rahal Letterman will field two cars, one for Simmons and one for IRL veteran Scott Sharp. They have been unable to find sponsorship to field a third car for former Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice.

[edit] Champ Car drivers

[edit] IRL drivers

[edit] Current

[edit] Former

NOTE: Paul Dana was killed in final practice for the March 26, 2006, Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and never officially recorded a start in the IndyCar Series with the team. Dana was never credited with an IRL start at the team by the IRL record book. After sitting out the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Jeff Simmons was named to drive the Ethanol #17 entry for the balance of the 2006 season.

[edit] External link

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