Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is an American motor racing team in the open wheel Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, with one series win by co-owner Robbie Buhl, who owns the team with Indianapolis BMW, Infiniti and Volkswagen dealer Dennis Reinbold.
Contents |
[edit] 2000-2006
Founded in 2000, D&R 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. During the team's heyday in 2001 and 2002, the team often also ran a second car for Sarah Fisher. In the 2006 Indianapolis 500, the team's second car was driven by Al Unser, Jr..
The team's only win came in the 2000 season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway, when Buhl stunned the establishment with a win from the 22nd starting position. The underfunded team has struggled since to compete with the front echelon teams. 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. Other good results in the season were few and far between.
[edit] 2007-2008
For 2007 the team has recruited two ex-Fernandez Racing engineers and added a new sponsor. In January 2007, 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice announced that this hiring spurred him to sign on with the team for the 2007 season and that the team may expand to two cars. That was later confirmed with the news that Sarah Fisher has joined Rice to complete the two car team. Rice brought in respectable performances, finishing 9th in points with three top-five finishes. Fisher struggled to 17th place in points.
Rice returned to the team in 2008 while the team's second car is being 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 a competitive 19th in the race.
[edit] Drivers that have competed for Dreyer & Reinbold
Townsend Bell (2008)
Ryan Briscoe (2006)- Jeff Bucknum (2005)
- Robbie Buhl (2000-2004)
Milka Duno (2008)- Sarah Fisher (2002-2003, 2006-2007)
Felipe Giaffone (2004)
Memo Gidley (2002)- Steve Knapp (2000)
- Buddy Lazier (2004, 2006)
- Buddy Rice (2007-)
- Al Unser Jr. (2006)
- Roger Yasukawa (2005, 2007)
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 This motorsport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
