Rahal team to field customer cars

It has long been said that inside every person that follows motorsports, there is a little race-car driver dying to get out. Beginning in 2008, Rahal Letterman Racing will do its best to ensure that those with the required combination of skill and aspiration have the chance to nurture their inner racer.

The Ohio-based race team, which fields entries in the IndyCar Series as well as the American Le Mans Series, has announced that it intends field a limited number of customer cars in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge next season. The all-Porsche series is one of the premier arrive-and-drive sportscar series in the United States, with fields in excess of 45 entries at many of the stops on the schedule.

“I have always had a passion for sportscar racing and I am very excited about the chance to share my passion with the public," said team co-owner Bobby Rahal. “This represents a new and exciting facet to our race operations and we are looking forward to providing customers with a quality program that will give them the opportunity to compete at a high level."

The series, which is the largest single-make racing championship in North America, runs cars that are based on the popular Porsche 997 body style. The series’ cars come with sealed engines and transmissions, putting the emphasis on driver skill instead of mechanical ability. The IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge competes as a companion event to the American Le Mans Series at many of its stops on the schedule, including prestigious events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, and the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis.

As part of the customer program, RLR will prepare cars using its battle-tested staff of professional engineers and mechanics, and are committed to provide a competitive race car. The RLR IMSA GT3 Cup program will prepare cars using the same approach to professionalism and competitiveness that is consistent with each of RLR’s championship-caliber racing programs. The cost of the entry includes a driver coach for the weekend, an engineer, weekend pit and mechanical personnel and transporter office space along with all consumables such as tires, brakes and fuel.