There is an old adage that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but for Rahal Letterman Racing’s initial foray into the American Le Mans Series, that first step was akin to stubbing your toe on the way out the door.

 

Making its debut at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the #18 Bell Micro-sponsored Porsche 911 GT3 RSR was involved in contact in its very first lap of competition as a starting line spin set off a chain reaction that resulted in a punctured radiator for the RLR machine.

 

But instead of being a harbinger of things to come for the first-year team, the incident proved the mettle of the Columbus-based team. The squad needed just 12 laps to fix the gashed cooling system and the driver lineup of Ralf Kelleners, Tom Milner and Graham Rahal got back to work, moving the car from the back of the field to sixth place at day’s end.

 

“The team really showed its strength there, right out of the gate,” Kelleners recalled. “A start like that can really derail a lot of teams, but from top to bottom, the team did a great job of patiently working to get back in the race. I was not surprised that a team with the kind of depth and leadership that RLR has, could overcome a tough start and produce a positive result.”

 

That drive and determination would pay off over the remainder of the ALMS season as the team earned five podium finishes in its 12 events, including a pair of second-place finishes in the highly-competitive GT2 class and a third-place run in the series’ signature event – the Petit Le Mans.

 

The first half of the season saw the team go through some rough patches, including a heartbreaking scenario in St. Petersburg in which an accident in practice forced the team to start last. Undaunted, Milner and Kelleners pounded through the field and was just one second behind the GT2 race leader with 10 minutes left when another accident ended their day. An early accident in Long Beach stalled progress and the team had yet to score a top-five result through its first five starts.

 

The season’s turnaround began at Lime Rock Park where the team matched a season high by starting fourth in class, then scored its first podium run with a second-place finish. But as pleased as the team was with the result, the race started a trend that would haunt the team through its successful second half as contact resulted in a cut tire that denied the team a chance for victory. 

 

The team rebounded from a tough day at Mid-Ohio with a second-place result at Road America, using shrewd pit strategy and timely cautions to outfox the field after qualifying fifth in class. Things continued to improve as a trip to Mosport gave RLR its first back-to-back podium runs of the season, again aiding its cause with key strategic calls that moved the Bell Micro Porsche to third after qualifying sixth.

 

“That was the best car we had to that point,” said Milner. “The balance was great and held up even as the tires burned off and the fuel load lightened. I could run with anyone in the GT2 class and the strategy calls were right on. The second half of the season was definitely the highlight of the year for me and for the team. We had a car that was competitive in the second half, capable of finishing on the podium every race. The team showed they may be new to sports car racing but they clearly are one of the top teams in the ALMS.”

 

Champ Car star-in-the-making Graham Rahal rejoined the team for Petit Le Mans, partnering with Kelleners and Milner for the 1,000-mile event at Road Atlanta. The event was the zenith of the season for the RLR squad as the team qualified fourth, led at the race’s halfway point, and finished third. But again, it was bittersweet for the team as three stops to repair flat tires again blunted any chances the team had for victory.

 

“If you look at the big picture, if we didn’t have all of the problems we had, we would have been further up the list, but it was still a great day for us,” said the younger Rahal. “I really enjoyed driving the Porsche and had a great time with the team, who showed that they have a bright future in sportscars.”

 

The team wrapped up its first season with a strong showing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as again, Milner and Kelleners held the GT2 class lead during the four-hour event before ending the day in the third spot. At the end of the day, the first-year team finished fourth in the team standings while Milner and Kelleners tied for fourth in the driver championship.

 

“We had a steep learning curve, basically starting from zero in the ALMS, but we became one of the most competitive teams in GT2,” Kelleners said. “The mechanics and engineers all had to adapt to a new series and new rules but I think the team should be very happy with its efforts. I would say ‘Mission Completed!’.

 

"I have made no secret about my passion for sportscar racing and our initial year in the ALMS proved to be a great first step for Rahal Letterman Racing," said Rahal. "Our guys did a great job of improving the car week after week and gave us a car good enough to finish on the podium at every race. While we are disappointed that we didn't take the final step to the top of the podium, we feel we learned a lot about the Porsche and the ALMS and look forward to challenging for race wins next season."