Base Carmel, Indiana, USA Race drivers 24. Sage Karam Pole positions 2 Founded 2012 Pole position 2 | Series Verizon IndyCar Series Manufacturer Chevrolet Owner Robbie Buhl Drivers' championships 0 Race victories 1 | |
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is an automotive racing organization that competed in the open wheel IndyCar Series from 2000 to 2013 and currently competing in the Global Rallycross Championship. The team is co-owned by former driver Robbie Buhl, who owns the team with Indianapolis BMW, Infiniti, Volkswagen and Maserati dealer Dennis Reinbold. Off the track, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR) have spent thousands of hours as the national spokesperson & advocate for "Racing for Kids," a national youth charitable foundation. On behalf of "Racing for Kids," DRR has visited more than 20,000 children in over 400 hospitals worldwide, and raised nearly $5 million for local children's health initiatives.
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2000–2006 Indy Racing League / IndyCar Series
Founded in 2000, DRR was one of the few teams that consistently ran the Infiniti engine until they left the series, then switched to Chevrolet and finally to Honda in 2005. When Buhl retired from the cockpit in 2004, he placed Felipe Giaffone in the cockpit, followed by Roger Yasukawa with financial backing from Honda. With Honda backing gone for 2006, some doubted if the team would continue, as Buhl had consistently stated that if running the team did not make financial sense, he would shut it down. However, sponsorship was found and the team named 2000 series champion Buddy Lazier their primary driver. In 2002 the team ran a second car for Sarah Fisher, who famously became the first woman in North American motorsports history to win the pole position for a major-league open-wheel race, earning the pole at Kentucky Speedway. In the 2006 Indianapolis 500, the team's second car was driven by Al Unser, Jr..
The team's only win came in their debut race, 2000 IRL season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway, when Buhl stunned the series with a win from the 22nd starting position. In 2006 the team scored their best finish in years when Ryan Briscoe showed a great turn of speed in the wet at Watkins Glen International to get on the podium. During that time, other good results in the season were few and far between.
2007–2009 IndyCar Series
For 2007 the team has recruited two ex-Fernandez Racing engineers and added a new sponsor. On January 31, 2007, 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice and Sarah Fisher would drive for the team. Rice brought in respectable performances, finishing 9th in points with three top-five finishes. Fisher struggled to 17th place in points after playing second fiddle to the "A Team" often being given less than par equipment. Fisher announced in late 2007 that she would leave the team due to lack of commitment from the team to her efforts.
Rice returned to the team in 2008 while the team's second car was shared by Milka Duno and Townsend Bell, with all three drivers competing in the 2008 Indianapolis 500. Both Rice and Bell finished in the top-10 (8th and 10th respectively) while Duno finished 19th in the race. Rice finished 16th in points with a best finish of fourth at Watkins Glen.
2009 saw Dreyer & Reinbold bring on a completely new driver lineup from 2008. Joining the team full-time was British rookie Mike Conway, who most had previously competed in the GP2 Series. A second full-time entry was shared between Darren Manning (two races), Milka Duno, and Tomas Scheckter. In addition, Roger Yasukawa also returned to the team for the race at Twin Ring Motegi. The team also fielded cars for Richard Petty Motorsports driven by John Andretti and for Kingdom Racing and driver Davey Hamilton in the 2009 Indianapolis 500. The cars of Duno, Andretti, and Conway all struggled to qualify but made the field on bump day, the final day of qualifications. Conway, Andretti, and Duno were the last-placed cars running at the finish in the 18th, 19th, and 20th positions respectively. Throughout the rest of the season, Conway struggled for consistency, only finishing nine of the seventeen races, but was fast at times on the road courses, finishing on the podium in third at Infineon Raceway.
2010–2011 Izod IndyCar Series
On 2 February 2010 it was announced that Justin Wilson would be joining Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the 2010 IndyCar season in the #22 Z-Line Designs car. Wilson was to be partnered throughout the season by returning driver Mike Conway. For the opening race in Brazil they were joined by Ana Beatriz. For the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 the team was expanded to run four cars for Tomas Scheckter and Ana Beatriz. After Conway was sidelined for an accident in the closing stages of the Indy 500, Wilson was partnered by Tomas Scheckter, Graham Rahal and Paul Tracy. It was announced that he will be joined by J. R. Hildebrand who will make his Indycar debut at Mid-Ohio. The Toronto event was Wilson's breakthrough event of the season, after being in the top two in each of the three practice sessions, he dominated qualifying. Wilson made it to the Firestone Fast Six shootout without using a single set of the faster red walled (alternate compound) tires, and easily took the pole for the race after posting a record lap time of 1:00.2710s. Wilson went on to lead much of the race, however after losing grip coming off of turn 11 on a restart late in the race, his car spun and relinquished the lead to Will Power. Even after Wilson found himself pointing the wrong way in turn 8, he was able to rebound to a seventh-place finish.
After healing, Conway left DRR for Andretti Autosport for the 2011 IndyCar season and was replaced by rookie Ana Beatriz and her sponsor Petroleo Ipiranga. On 11 November 2010 an announcement was made confirming Wilson would remain with Dreyer & Reinbold for a second year.
2012 Izod IndyCar Series
On November 17, 2011, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Group Lotus PLC announced that DRR would serve as a Lotus factory partner team. Additionally, the historic auto manufacturer provided DRR entries with its new Lotus IndyCar V-6 racing engine for the 2012 IndyCar season. On January 17, 2012 the team announced Oriol Servia as the teams full-time entry
On April 23, Dreyer & Reinbold and Lotus mutually agreed to end their existing engine contract. Subsequently, on May 7, the team announced a strategic alliance with Panther Racing to provide technical support as well as use of the second Chevrolet engine contract held by Panther. The team's performance dramatically improved, with back to back top-5 finishes at Indy and Detroit. Servia would finish the season with 3 more top 10s, eventually finishing 13th in points.
2013 Izod IndyCar Series
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Continued their partnership with Panther Racing for the 2013 season with driver Oriol Servia, however the team decided to withdraw from the 2013 season after the Indianapolis 500 due to lack of sponsorship. The decision will not affect Panther Racing.
Current Status
After the 2013 Indianapolis 500, the team cut its staff and pulled out of IndyCar competition due to losing its primary sponsorship. The team made its return in the 2014 Indianapolis 500 with the help of Kingdom Racing. They announced their intent to run 2013 Firestone Indy Lights Champion and Chip Ganassi Racing driver Sage Karam for the race. Despite starting 31st, Karam would finish 9th.
Past and Present Drivers
Complete Indycar results
(key)
1 The Las Vegas Indy 300 was abandoned after Dan Wheldon died from injuries sustained in a 15-car crash on lap 11.GRC Lites
* Season in progress.
Race cancelled.