Robbie Buhl

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Robbie Buhl
Nationality	United States
Date of Birth	September 2, 1963 (1963-09-02) (age 44)
Place of Birth	Detroit, Michigan
Retired	2004
Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
Years active	1996-2004
Teams	Beck Motorsports Team Menard Sinden Racing Tri-Star Racing Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Starts	78
Wins	2
Poles	0
Best finish	3rd in 1996
Previous series
1993-1994 1990-1996 1989	CART World Series Indy Lights Barber Saab Pro Series
Championship titles
1992 1989	Indy Lights Barber Saab Pro Series

Robbie Buhl (born September 2, 1963 in Detroit) is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series.

He won the 1992 Indy Lights championship and caught the eye of John Menard in 1996, running as team mate to Tony Stewart for two seasonssucceeding the late Scott Brayton. He scored his first win in what was once the closest finish in series history when he beat ex-MasterCard Lola F1 driver Vincenzo Sospiri by 0.064 of a second at the New Hampshire International Speedway.

He started his own team, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, in 2000 and stunned the establishment with a win from 22nd on the grid the season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway. Mild to moderate success followed the next few seasons and he retired as a driver prior to the 2004 Indianapolis 500. He has continued as a team owner, with the team unable to compete with the Penske, Ganassi or Andretti-Green teams.

In 2007, Robbie made a small return to racing trying to compete in the SCCA Runoffs in Topeka, at the wheel of a Formula Mazda, but he withdrew after the qualifying.

[edit] Personal

Buhl's wife is the widow of former racer Scott Brayton.

Buhl hails from Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, one of the wealthiest enclaves in the US. His family is one of the oldest of "old money" -"social register" Detroit society families. Their wealth stems from 19th/early 20th century manufacturing and real estate development and the industrialization of Detroit in the period 1850-1950. Family holdings included Buhl Stamping, Buhl Aircraft manufacturing, development of vast real estate holdings (including the landmark Buhl Building in downtown Detroit), Parke Davis (now part of drug giant Pfizer) , Copper and Brass Sales, Inc, (by marriage) and many other holdings. His parents reside in Grosse Pointe Farms, Harbor Springs, Michigan, and Hobe Sound, Florida.

Robbie is a Founder and key Supporter of "Racing for Kids", a charitable foundation established to assist chronically ill children. Robbie makes a point of visiting sick children at hospitals on each stop of the circuit, bringing a bit of cheer to their lives in the process.

[edit] Indy 500 results

Year	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish
1993	Lola	Buick	Practice Crash
1996	Lola	Ford-Cosworth	23rd	9th
1997	G-Force	Oldsmobile	4th	8th
1998	Dallara	Oldsmobile	5th	31st
1999	Dallara	Oldsmobile	32nd	6th
2000	G-Force	Oldsmobile	9th	26th
2001	G-Force	Infiniti	9th	15th
2002	G-Force	Infiniti	2nd	16th
2003	Dallara	Chevrolet	22nd	23rd

Sporting positions
Preceded by Bruce Feldman	Barber Saab Pro Series Champion 1989	Succeeded by Rob Wilson
Preceded by Eric Bachelart	Indy Lights Champion 1992	Succeeded by Bryan Herta