Rahal expects Sato's return for 2019

Bobby Rahal expects to keep Portland Grand Prix winner Takuma Sato as teammate to Graham Rahal for 2019.

“We aren’t done with it, but we’ve spoken and both sides intend to keep working together,” the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing co-owner told RACER. “We like working with Takuma, and his win last weekend was great for our team.”

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Sato’s victory was the first for RLLR in 2018, and with the 2017 Indy 500 winner in fine form of late, moving up from his current position of 11th in the championship to secure a top 10 is more than possible at the double-points season finale next weekend in Sonoma.

Rahal also said the team’s effort to add a third car alongside his son and Sato is making positive progress.

“Things are still going in the right direction there,” he added. “We’re confident something good will happen with a third car and there’s real interest from people who want to be part of our team.”