Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Total Specialties USA, Inc., Total S.A.’s U.S. marketing affiliate, have expanded their relationship to include primary sponsorship of the team’s No. 15 Honda for Graham Rahal in the Verizon IndyCar Series season finale at Sonoma Raceway this weekend.
INDYCAR GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA: Entry list
It was announced in January that the brand would Rahal’s primary sponsor at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and that TOTAL QUARTZ would be the Official Lubricant Partner of the team.
“One of the highlights of our year has been the building of our relationship with Total,” said Bobby Rahal, RLL co-owner with David Letterman and Michael Lanigan. “I may be partial but their logo and colors look especially great on our Indy car and we are excited about the opportunity to feature them again as the primary sponsor of Graham’s car at Sonoma. We are hoping to end the season on a high note and I can’t think of a better way than back-to-back wins for the team.”
The 2018 season marked Total’s return after being an associate sponsor in the team’s inaugural season in 1992, when Bobby Rahal earned his third Indy car title. The 2018 Long Beach race marked Total’s first as a primary sponsor of an Indy car.
“Total is a leader in finished lubricant products around the globe, and RLL is a leader in motorsport, so it is a perfect alignment for Total to sponsor Graham Rahal and the RLL team,” said Christophe Doussoux, senior vice president, Lubricants for Total Specialties USA, Inc. “I agree with Bobby that the Total colors look great on the No. 15 car, and we are so proud to partner with this great Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team.”
Takuma Sato, the second driver for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, won the most recent Verizon IndyCar Series race, the Grand Prix of Portland, on Sept. 2. The INDYCAR Grand Prix of Sonoma airs live on NBCSN at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
Hinchcliffe teaming with Red Cross for Sonoma blood drive
INDYCAR race fans can help save lives with Verizon IndyCar Series driver and blood-donation recipient James Hinchcliffe at a special American Red Cross Hinchcliffe 100 Blood Drive on Thursday at Sonoma Raceway.
The drive runs from 3-9 p.m. ET. The first 100 donors who register to give will receive a free general admission to the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday, while supplies last.
In 2015, Hinchcliffe suffered serious injuries in a crash during practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He needed 22 pints of blood to survive, about twice an average person’s blood volume. His experience led him to realize how important blood donation is.
“It took something like what happened to me for me to understand the problem,” sad Hinchcliffe said. “I'm working with the Red Cross to do whatever I can to raise awareness about the issue and try to draw people to blood donation.”
This drive is the fourth that Hinchcliffe has sponsored at INDYCAR venues this year, following Indianapolis, Iowa and Portland. The public can follow social media activity of the events by using the hashtag #HinchcliffeHundred.
The Red Cross depends on blood donor heroes across the nation to collect enough blood to meet the needs of patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Donors of all blood types are needed to help those who rely on blood products.
To schedule an appointment, visit RedCross.org or call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) and use sponsor code SonomaRaceway.