Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will return to IndyAutomobile full-time in 2027

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR) is a everlasting name within the IndyAutomobile paddock, however it hasn't been full-time racing for over a decade – for the reason that 2012 season. Instead, the organization focused totally on solo appearances within the Indianapolis 500 and the occasional one-off and supplemental races. However, the team's goal is to return for a full season within the 2027 IndyAutomobile Series, when a brand new automotive is predicted to be unveiled.

During a recent phone call when DRR confirmed Jack Harvey and Ryan Hunter-Reay's 2025 Indy 500 lineup, team owner Dennis Reinbold announced the goal is to be a full-time competitor in North America's premier open-wheel championship, saying the 2027 season will allow for a fresh start with recent cars and recent engine programs coming to the game that they will't wait to see.

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“If we are going to go full-time, this is the right time to do it when everyone is starting from scratch and basing their work on that,” Reinbold said. “That's what we would really like to do. We learned loads by specializing in the Indy program. For us to do it the proper way, the one way we could come back and do it full-time in 2027 could be to do all of the testing essential to be competitive in each discipline.

Dennis Reinbold, Dreyer and Reinbold Racing Chevrolet

Photo: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images

Motorsport.com asked Reinbold whether the scenario was nearly keeping a clean sheet for the automotive or about constructing higher infrastructure. The team owner stated that there was a necessity for more resources. Overall, there could be a “complete restructuring” of staffing and a rise in testing.

“Why we didn't do it, it's just budget-related,” he said. “We didn't have the budget to placed on a full season, so we're just specializing in Indy.

We're pointing to '27 to try to extend our budget, have the option to do it the proper way, hire additional engineers and really do some testing to do it the proper way. If we will do this, that's our goal.”

Another element that can even come into force is the newly implemented IndyAutomobile charter system, which might be valid until 2031. There are currently 10 teams on 25 entries, excluding Prema, which can field two cars in its debut season in 2025. Each entry on the cardboard provides a guaranteed starting position in all IndyAutomobile rounds aside from the Indy 500, which still features the 33 fastest competitors .

“That's where the card becomes a problem,” Reinbold said. “For the foreseeable future or the following two years, it's not an issue in any respect in Indy. They said they weren't going to maneuver it to Indy, which I appreciate and hope that stays that way long run irrespective of what. Indy was principally built on the fastest 33 guys racing against one another, let's see what we now have. May one of the best man or best woman win, that's the way it is.

“I like the purity, the history and the nostalgia of the Indy 500. Just the tradition in general. It's a great place to go and be a part of. It's an honor to be part of this program.”