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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Rahal Closing In On Second, Third Cars
Bobby Rahal could be holding the keys to an interesting multi-national driver lineup for 2012, with Japan, Italy and Mexico possibly represented.
Marshall Pruett  |  Posted February 13, 2012  
2011 GP2 runner-up and Honda favorite Luca Filippi could make the switch to the IZOD IndyCar Series after spending six years in F1's feeder series. (Photo: LAT)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s return to its place as a full-time IZOD IndyCar Series entrant is picking up steam as the Ohio-based team has recently confirmed Takuma Sato as its first driver, and moved its IndyCar operation into the former de Ferran Racing facilities just outside of Indianapolis.

Now the team is closing in on filling its second seat and could also expand to three cars if Bobby Rahal gets signatures on all of the deals he has in the works.

“We’re at 11:59 on a lot of things, you could say, and just need that extra minute for everything to come together and roll over,” Rahal told SPEED.com on Monday. “It’s the usual deal. We’re very close on the second car, have contracts going back and forth and just when you think you have it all done, there’s a line that needs to be adjusted or whatever and the contracts make another round for review. It’s ordinary stuff, but I think we’ll be in good shape shortly, and we also have a third car in play that’s also close.”

Rahal announced he’d secured a pair of Honda contracts last November, confirmed Sato 10 days ago and appears to be close to snagging one of Europe’s hottest young drivers to push the 35-year-old Japanese driver.

The second RLL seat has been linked to 2011 GP2 runner-up Luca Filippi since late last year, with multiple sources confirming he’s in the frame for a drive with the 2004 Indy 500-winning team.

A mid-season switch from Super Nova to Scuderia Coloni sparked the Italian’s run to second-place in the GP2 championship, but after six years in Formula One’s feeder series, and with nothing but F1 reserve driver roles left for the offering, moving Stateside to continue his career could be the most logical step for Filippi.

The 26-year-old is held in high regard by Honda, where he served as a test driver for the former Honda F1 outfit, and like Sato, would seem to be a good fit for Rahal’s Honda-powered team and the IndyCar Series as road and street courses dominate the 2012 schedule.
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