DRR Returns Full Time, Fulfilling Founder's Vision

The timing was right despite a tragic loss.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced Wednesday it will return to full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition in 2027 after purchasing a charter from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, pending INDYCAR SERIES approval.

The move fulfills a vision longtime team owner Dennis Reinbold, who was pursuing a charter prior to his death June 13 at age 65.

Ironically, RLL and DRR began discussing the availability of one of RLL's charters just before Reinbold’s passing.

"I know my dad would be proud," said Derek Reinbold, chief executive officer of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and the son of the team founder. "There are a lot of emotions."

Derek Reinbold is leading DRR's return to full-time competition alongside president and chief commercial officer Brett DeBord and team principal and chief operations officer Chase Selman.

The charter guarantees DRR one full-time entry beginning with the season-opening race of 2027. The team also hopes to continue fielding multiple Indianapolis 500 entries but is focused first on establishing a full-season program. DRR is evaluating engine manufacturer options between Chevrolet and Honda and has yet to determine its full-time driver lineup.

This week’s announcement marks the organization's first full-time INDYCAR SERIES campaign since 2012 and its first appearance at races outside Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2013.

"My dad believed this team belonged in the INDYCAR SERIES full time, and he never stopped building toward that goal," Derek Reinbold said. "He and I were talking through this charter purchase right up until he went into the hospital.

"The news is bittersweet, but I know exactly how he'd feel because this was his vision, and we're really proud to finish what he started.

"For my family, this is the next chapter of a story that goes back nearly a century. Racing at Indy is just who we are, and starting in 2027, I'm excited that we get to live that every race weekend, not just in May.

"For the race team, this is what everybody in our shop has been working toward. Brett, Chase and the whole crew have earned this. We haven't competed full time since 2012, and getting to build for a whole season, not just for a month, changes what this team can become.

"I know my dad would be proud, and our job is to keep making him proud."

The opportunity came through the INDYCAR charter system, introduced before the 2025 season to provide teams greater financial stability and long-term value through guaranteed starting positions outside the Indianapolis 500 and other benefits. RLL received three of the series' 25 charters, one of which became available in June.

For Dennis Reinbold (photo, above), the charter represented the missing piece.

Although DRR had become one of the Indianapolis 500's premier independent teams, expanding beyond May required a significant investment in personnel, equipment and infrastructure. The elder Reinbold maintained full-time employees and prepared two superspeedway cars each year, but a season-long operation demanded far greater resources.

Reinbold founded the team in 1999 after sketching the idea on a cocktail napkin, and its name reflected generations of family history in Indianapolis motorsports. His grandfather, Floyd "Pop" Dreyer, worked on Indianapolis 500-winning machinery before later building championship-winning sprint cars, midgets and quarter-midgets. Dreyer’s shop was located a couple of miles south of IMS.

DRR joined the INDYCAR SERIES full time in 2000 and immediately celebrated its lone series victory when Robbie Buhl won the season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway.

After scaling back to an Indy-only effort following the 2013 “500,” the team built a reputation as one of the event's most consistent organizations. It returned for every "500," also contesting the three IMS road course races during the pandemic-altered 2020 season.

The team's best Indy finish was fourth with Oriol Servia in 2012. Ryan Hunter-Reay came within reach of the victory in 2025 before running out of fuel with 31 laps remaining and DRR drivers have led the race in four of the last six years. He was leading the race at the time.

Perhaps the statistic Dennis Reinbold appreciated most: Every one of the team's 53 “500” entries qualified for the starting field.

"This team started on a cocktail napkin by Eric DeBord, Robbie Buhl and Dennis Reinbold, so it's kind of a full-circle moment for us to be here 27, almost 28 years later," Brett DeBord said.

Now, after years of exploring a return to full-time competition, the opportunity Dennis Reinbold envisioned will become reality.

"Now it's the right time, not just because the charter is available but because it was my dad's ambition that we go full time as soon as possible, get back to full-time racing and make this team a full-time team," Derek Reinbold said. "Our ambition is to expand the program while obviously retaining the great results that we've had at the Indy 500 year over year.

"I think it's an exciting time.”