FIFTH THIRD BANK RENEWS PARTNERSHIP AS AN ASSOCIATE SPONSOR OF RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING’S INDY CAR PROGRAM IN MULTI-YEAR DEAL

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (February 28, 2017) – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLLR) announced today that Fifth Third Bank has renewed their partnership as an associate sponsor in a multi-year agreement. The bank logo will appear on the Honda-powered No. 15 Verizon IndyCar Series entry of Graham Rahal.

“Our relationship with Fifth Third started in 2016 and we got to know their culture through various events with their customers as well as through their philanthropic outreach and we are proud to extend our partnership with such a group,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with former CBS Late Show host David Letterman and Mi-Jack co-owner Mike Lanigan.

Events in St. Petersburg, Fla., Indianapolis, Ohio, and outside St. Louis, among others, have been identified as key markets, and the company is currently planning initiatives that align with their corporate goals for those markets. Fifth Third and the racing team will again join forces to make an impact on the local community, especially during the bank’s annual hunger initiative in the month of May.

“We are very excited about extending our partnership with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” said Steven Alonso, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank, Greater Indiana Gateway Region.  “Racing is a fabric of our community and a passion for many of our clients; and Graham is a first class individual on and off the track.  We are thrilled to be associated once again with Graham, Bobby, and the whole RLL team.”

Rahal was a major factor in two of the most exciting races last season, the Honda Indy at Barber Motorsports Park where he finished second to eventual champion Simon Pagenaud, and in the Firestone 600, where he won by the closest margin of victory at Texas Motor Speedway and fifth closest in INDYCAR series history.  For the second consecutive year, Rahal ended the season as the highest-ranked Honda-powered driver in fifth place after a total of four podium finishes and eight, top-five finishes.

The 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season begins March 10-12 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.  Graham Rahal won the event in 2008 and won pole in 2009 – both feats earned him the distinction of being the youngest in series history to do so.  For more details about the Series, please visit www.indycar.com