Dreyer & Reinbold working on wider IndyCar campaign

Dennis Reinbold and his partners in the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team are working to expand their IndyCar Series program beyond the Indianapolis 500.

DRR debuted in 2000 and competed as a full-time entrant through 2012; a funding shortfall curtailed its 2013 season after a handful of races, and afterwards, the Indiana-based squad has focused its efforts on the Indy 500 where it ranks as one of the strongest contenders in the great race.

Reinbold isn’t ready to announce the wider program outside of the Speedway, but if DRR’s efforts come to fruition, it would start by ramping up with a part-time campaign in 2026.

“I want to be positioned when the new car rolls around and everybody hits the reset,” Reinbold told RACER. “I've always been interested in getting back, but didn't have as clear a pathway as we do right now. We've been doing Indy with the eye on trying to get back full-time, and we had a promising start on that back in 2020 when COVID hit when we did four races that year, but COVID really derailed us and pushed us back.

“But now we've rethought things and definitely kept the idea of becoming full-time again, knowing that we would have to get outside investment to be able to do that, and that’s where we’ve been working hard.”

DRR’s gradual return though 2027, which could be full-time with the support of new investment, is geared towards being ready for the upcoming changeover to a new IndyCar chassis – the IR28 – in 2028.

“We don't want to do it just to show up at races,” said Reinbold, who was in with a shot to win the most recent Indy 500 with Ryan Hunter-Reay. “We want to do it to show up and compete for wins and championships or, or it's just not worth our time. That's how we approach Indy. It's why we just focus on Indy right now and we do it the right way. We believe we can add great quality.

“I'm happy with how our Indy program rolls out each year. We work all year long to get that better and improve upon it, and we've made some great strides this year. But until recently, we haven't seen the opportunity like we have now to do more races, so that makes me excited.”

Former DRR driver Conor Daly is known to have a solid base of sponsors who want to see the Hoosier racing at the Indy 500 along with Western IndyCar events, and could be in the mix to play a role if DRR files entries outside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

DRR has confirmed Jack Harvey for one of its two Indy 500 seats, but the second car remains unclaimed and would be the natural choice for a multi-race initiative. If DRR is successful with its expansion, IndyCar fans would have a bigger reason to tune in for the qualifying sessions at those events.

DRR has confirmed Jack Harvey to be returning in one of its two Indy 500 seats. Brandon Badaroui/Lumen via Getty Images

IndyCar capped its field size to 27 cars at all standard road, street and oval races with the introduction of its new charter system in 2025. Separate from the Indy 500’s field of 33, every IndyCar race last season featured 27 cars, with 25 entries making use of guaranteed starting positions through their charters and PREMA Racing – the only full-time team without charters – taking the last two grid spots.

PREMA, which ran unopposed in qualifying for the two open positions, has not confirmed its return in 2026, but multiple sources tell RACER the team has a new round of investment and expects to field its two-car program.

If PREMA is back and DRR embarks on a part-time effort with one or more cars, IndyCar would rely on its rulebook to manage the process of whittling the starting grid down to 27.

For ovals, the familiar single-car qualifying process would make quick work of the matter as the fastest 27 speeds produced during the solo runs would lock in the field. Assuming PREMA is on the entry list and DRR enters one car to bring the tally to 28, DRR would need to beat at least one PREMA car to take part in its select appearances.

At road and street courses, IndyCar has a more complex process to follow with the use of an LCQ arrangement run immediately prior to its multi-round knockout qualifying system.

“Last Chance Qualifications shall only occur in the event there are more than 27 cars entered in the event, shall consist of all non-charter cars,” the rulebook states in a passage that runs from Rule 8.3.1.1, though 8.3.1.1.6. “Order shall be determined by the car with the best lap time in the practice session immediately preceding qualifications. Qualifications order will be set in reverse order.

“[It] shall consist of single-car qualifications, two timed laps with the fastest lap counting as the car’s Last Chance Qualification time. Each car shall be ranked in order of best lap time as follows: Car posting the best-timed lap added to Group 1, car posting the 2nd fastest time added to Group 2. Only the fastest 2 cars earn positions in the race qualifications groups. All other cars shall not be permitted to continue participating in the event.”

With IndyCar’s formula changeover on the horizon, Reinbold sees having DRR in full motion, despite the lack of guaranteed entries, as an invaluable move.

“If we're already into a season, and we get a new car thrown at us, that gives us something that we can really start working on, and we've already got the team in place to be able to do that,” he said of building towards 2028.

“That's why I think in ’28 and beyond, we have as good a chance as anybody to shine. It's a little bit of a strategic rollout, but I think it'd be good for the series. It'd be good for us, obviously. And we've never wavered on our love for IndyCar.”