KEIHIN NORTH AMERICA JOINS RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING AS AN ASSOCIATE SPONSOR FOR RAHAL’S INDY 500 ENTRY
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (May 26, 2017) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLLR) announced today that Keihin North America, a leading manufacturer of vehicle engine management and climate control systems has joined the team as an associate sponsor of the No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Honda of Graham Rahal for the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on May 28.
“Keihin is well-known for their advanced componentry in the automotive world, particularly in engine management control, among other things,” 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. “And being a Honda dealer we are well-versed in working with their products on an everyday basis. We are pleased to have them come on board and look forward to the opportunity to bring them success in the Indy 500 as well as hopefully, in the future.”
Rahal will make his 10th start in the Indy 500 from the middle of Row 5 in 14th place. His highest finish in the race is third in 2011 after he led six laps and the team’s highest finish is a win from pole in 2005 by Buddy Rice. For the second consecutive year, Rahal ended last season as the highest-ranked Honda-powered driver with a fifth place rank after a total of four podium finishes and eight, top-five finishes.
“Keihin North America is thrilled to partner with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for this year’s 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500,” said Edward Flanagan, Assistant Vice President and General Manager of Keihin North America. “As a leading manufacturer of precision systems for both the automotive and power sports industries for over 50 years, it was an easy decision for us to team up with such a high class organization in the racing industry. Our associates are excited for much success on race day.”
The 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 will be televised live on ABC at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 28. For more details about the Series, please visit www.indycar.com
About Keihin North America
As a leading manufacturer of vehicle engine management and climate control systems, Keihin North America is focused on exceeding customer expectations while being a responsible corporate citizen. Keihin North America operates four manufacturing facilities in the United States (Greenfield, IN, Muncie, IN, Tarboro, NC and Capac, MI) and employs over 1,500 associates across all its U.S. locations. Keihin North America is a major supplier to Honda Motor Corporation. http://www.keihin-na.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 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 current total to 13 wins, 22 poles and 60 podium finishes.
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