Hy-Vee departs Rahal Letterman Lanigan
10/12/2024 09:33 AM
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which brought the Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee into the NTT IndyCar Series as a sponsor of its Honda-powered team, is bidding farewell to the company after it informed the squad owned by Bobby Rahal, Mike Lanigan, and David Letterman that it will no longer back its No. 45 entry.
Hy-Vee will, however, continue to sponsor its home state Iowa Speedway doubleheader, but vehicle sponsorships and sponsorships of other races – as it did with IndyCar's return to Milwaukee – will not go forward.
“Since first introducing Hy-Vee to the NTT IndyCar Series in 2020, the partnership has exceeded our expectations,” Rahal said in a statement. “What started at Iowa Speedway that year and resulted in a third-place finish, grew into a full season primary from 2021-2024 as well them setting the bar on event promotion at Iowa Speedway. We couldn't have been prouder to represent them during that timeframe.”
In a statement provided to the Des Moines Register, spokesperson Tina Potthoff confirmed the change of strategies.
“We appreciate the partnership we have had over the last several years with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team,” Potthoff said. “We will no longer be sponsoring a car in the IndyCar Series. Instead, we are shifting our focus to the Iowa races where we are the presenting sponsor.”
Despite the financial setback, which was not entirely unanticipated, RACER understands the team intends to continue fielding three cars next season. So far, Graham Rahal and new Indy NXT champion Louis Foster have been confirmed.
