BREAKING: Dreyer and Reinbold Racing joins IndyCar full-time in 2027

Credit: Joe Skibinski

The Dreyer and Reinbold Racing team (DRR), which has fielded one-off Indy 500 entries for the past few years, will be taking over one of Rahal Letterman Lanigan's (RLL) entries for the full season starting next year.

RLL has agreed to sell one of it's three charters to DRR for 2027, allowing the team to return to IndyCar full-time for the first time since 2012. Since 2014, the team has almost completely limited their IndyCar participation to the Indianapolis 500. During those years, their best finish came in 2021 when Sage Karam finished seventh in the race.

In 2026, DRR fielded two cars for Conor Daly and Jack Harvey, who finished 12th and 22nd respectively.

“I want to thank Bobby Rahal, Mike Lanigan, David Letterman, and Jay Frye for the way they approached this from our very first conversation," CEO of DRR Derek Reinbold commented on their new venture. "They treated this as a partnership between two organizations that want to see each other succeed, and this announcement today reflects that.

“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is in the strongest position it has been in for decades, and that is a direct result of Roger Penske’s stewardship and leadership. The growth of this series, on the track and off, made this the right moment for our team to return to full-time racing. My dad built Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and poured his life into it, and our family has been part of the Speedway for four generations. Competing for a full season again is the truest way we can honor his legacy, and we intend to make him proud.”

Co-owner of RLL, Bobby Rahal, added: “I have always had tremendous respect for Dennis Reinbold, both as a fellow team owner and as a fellow automobile dealer. His dedication to INDYCAR and the legacy he built over many years earned the respect of everyone in the paddock.

“As we evaluated the long-term direction of our organization, we made the strategic decision to return our fulltime program to two cars beginning in 2027. We believe this positions our team to be able to maximize our level of competition while allowing us to focus our resources as we prepare for the introduction of the new car.

“Dennis had expressed interest in acquiring a charter from the time the charter program was established, and we had several discussions with him before his passing. We’re pleased we were able to complete this transaction, and we can’t think of a more deserving organization to receive the charter. It reflects Dennis’s longstanding commitment to the sport and helps ensure that legacy continues.”

Full details of the car's driver and sponsor will be revealed at a later date. The likely move seems to be that either Mick Schumacher or Louis Foster's RLL entry will be the one sold to DRR, meaning that one of those drivers will likely be out of a seat for 2027.