BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 5, 2016) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) announced today that Bandit Industries Inc., a premier global manufacturer of industrial wood chippers and wood processing equipment, will be an associate sponsor for the No. 16 Verizon IndyCar Series entry of reigning Indy Lights champion Spencer Pigot in both events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis May 14 and the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil May 29.
Orlando, Florida native Pigot, 22, earned back-to-back championships the past two seasons. In 2014 he won the Pro Mazda championship with six wins, five poles and seven podium finishes as well as the Winterfest Championship. In 2015 he earned six wins, four poles and 10 podium finishes en route to the Indy Lights Series title which led to a three-race, IndyCar Series program with RLL in 2016.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bandit Industries to the race team as their first entry into the Verizon IndyCar Series,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with former late night talk show host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan. “Bandit equipment is well known throughout the wood processing industry for superior quality and longevity, two traits we strive to emulate across our racing organization.”
In his IndyCar Series debut, Pigot ran as high as 12th place in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 13 and finished 14th. The Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 14 and the Indianapolis 500 on May 29 will mark his second and third races in the series, respectively. Teammate Graham Rahal finished second in the previous Verizon IndyCar Series race at Barber Motorsports Park on April 24 and he and Pigot intend to continue that momentum at the two upcoming races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Racing at Indianapolis is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, not just for our employees but also for customers and our entire mid-Michigan community,” said Bandit Industries Marketing Manager Aaron Sorrels. “Having the opportunity to race with such an accomplished team is something special, and Spencer is one of the brightest young stars in all of motorsports. We are very proud to represent our employees, our community, our customers, and all the Bandit racing fans around the world at this historic 100th running of the Indy 500.”
The 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season continues with the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 14, which will be televised on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET. For more details about the Series, please visit www.indycar.com
About Bandit Industries, Inc.
Founded in 1983, Bandit Industries is an industry-leading manufacturer of industrial grade wood chippers, stump grinders, The Beast® reduction machines and other wood processing equipment. From humble beginnings with just six employees in a 6000 square-foot warehouse, today Bandit Industries employs over 400 highly skilled specialists utilizing more than 280,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Over 50,000 Bandit® wood processing machines have been built since that first chipper, serving customers around the world. All Bandit equipment is manufactured at the company’s mid-Michigan headquarters, combining state-of-the-art technology with hand-built craftsmanship that only comes through years of experience. Learn more about Bandit Industries at www.banditchippers.com.
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 2016 the team will compete in their 25th year of open wheel competition and attempt to add to their 22 wins – including the 2004 Indy 500 from pole with Buddy Rice — their 29 poles, 87 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 TUDOR 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. In 2016, BMW Team RLL will attempt to add to their 13 wins, 20 poles and 57 podium finishes.
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