RLL announces fourth Indy 500 entry, TRD welcomes back SiriusXM, Kirkwood set for two more IMSA races
RLL announces fourth Indy 500 entry, TRD welcomes back SiriusXM, Kirkwood set for two more IMSA races
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will be a four car team for the 2023 Indy 500, SiriusXM returns to a Joe Gibbs Racing driver and expands to 23XI, Kyle Kirkwood will be back in IMSA.
Story #1: Katherine Legge will be back in the NTT IndyCar Series paddock as she will attempt to make the 107th Indianapolis 500 with the No. 44 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Chevrolet.
“I am thrilled to be back at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the biggest race in the world, the Indy 500,” Legge said. “Bobby gave me my first chance to win races for the team in the Jaguar I-PACE Series a few years ago and it feels like a homecoming of sorts to be back with the team, especially seeing as I’m also very proud to be back with HPD in IMSA, and now in the IndyCar Series…”
The 42-year-old racer currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Gradient Racing and their No. 66 Acura NSX GT3. Coming off an overall 22nd place finish in the season opener, Rolex 24 at the Daytona International Speedway.
Legge will make her 12th start in the series and last raced in the 2013 installment of the 500 with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, finishing 26th. She ran a part-time season in 2012 with Lotus Dragon Racing and two full-time efforts when the championship was CART.
“I’ve been a fan of Katherine’s for many years and know that, in the right situation, she can be competitive and figure into the outcome at the end of the race,” Bobby Rahal said, co-owner of RLL. “She has driven for us before in the Jaguar electric program and won from pole in Mexico City and finished on the podium several times, so it is nice to have her back with us to work together at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time. I know she looks at this as a chance to show everybody what she really can do.”
Story #2: SiriusXM will be a primary sponsor for both Toyota teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, Joe Gibbs and 23XI Racing.
The broadcasting company has been supporting Bell’s career since his time spent in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2016. The No. 20 Camry TRD will feature the blue and white colors at the Auto Club Speedway (Feb 26) and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Mar 5).
Reddick is new to the Toyota Racing Development squad and will have SiriusXM on his No. 45 car at the Richmond Raceway (Apr 3), Darlington Raceway (May 8) and where he scored his first career win just last season, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (July 31).
“There are so many new opportunities for me this season and getting the opportunity to run SiriusXM on my Camry TRD is just another one of those,” said Reddick. “I’ve always been a fan of SiriusXM, but to learn about their relationship with Toyota with production vehicles along with the relationship all of us have with them already makes for a pretty awesome collaboration that comes together on my No. 45 Camry TRD.”
Story #3: Kyle Kirkwood will be added to Vasser Sullivan’s GTD Pro driver lineup for two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship events in 2023.
The full-time Andretti Autosport driver in the NTT IndyCar Series has competed in 11 races over the last four years piloting the Lexus RCF GT3. He will join factory drivers, Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth, for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the championship finale, Motul Petit Le Mans.
Kirkwood competed at the Rolex 24 with VS’s No. 12 GTD team and finished 23rd overall and fifth in the class.
“I’m super excited to be back in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 for the Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans,” said Kirkwood. “I really enjoyed driving with the No. 12 car group at this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. It was a tough race, but we finished in the top five in the largest class field.
“I’m looking forward to driving with Jack and Ben again. The last time we drove together was last year at Petit Le Mans and we won the first endurance race for Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. Hopefully we can build on that success this season.”
Credits: Rahal Letterman Lanigan, RACER, SportsCar365