Birmingham, AL (February 25, 2010) - Dreyer and Reinbold Racing announced today that Brazilian driver, Ana Beatriz, will join the team’s IZOD IndyCar Series effort at the season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil on March 14th.
“We are excited about going to Brazil for the first time with the IZOD IndyCar Series as it makes its travels down to South America and putting Ana Beatriz in our car at Brazil adds another dimension to our program and we are happy to have her on board for the Brazil race. We will be testing her at Sebring this weekend and we are excited to get her acclimated to the car. She was a very talented Indy Lights driver and we are converting her over to IndyCar and we are excited to be the team that she makes her IZOD IndyCar Series debut with,” commented Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Co-Owner, Dennis Reinbold.
The Brazilian driver will make her debut IZOD IndyCar appearance at her home race in Brazil on March 14th. The Sao Paulo native will step up to the IZOD IndyCar Series after competing in the Firestone Indy Lights category for the last two seasons. Her accomplishments include finishing third in 2008 in the Firestone Indy Lights point standings for Sam Schmidt Motorsports with one win, nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes. Beatriz also became the first female driver to win in Firestone Indy Lights when she won at Nashville in July. As a result she was named winner of the Firestone Indy Lights Rising Star Award. For 2007, she tested for A1 Team Brazil in A1GP at China. In 2006, Beatriz finished fifth in South American Formula 3 with five podium finishes and one pole. She was named winner of the São Paulo Citizen Driver. In2005, Beatriz became the first female to ever win a Formula Renault race and she went on to finish third in Formula Renault Brazil with three wins (Campo Grande, Vitória and Tarumã) and four pole positions (Campo Grande, Vitória, Interlagos (twice). Beatriz won a Gold Helmet Award and in 2004 finished fifth in Brazilian Formula Renault.
“It’s great to be with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the Brazil IZOD IndyCar race. I was very happy when my manager, Andre Ribeiro, came back from Indianapolis and had set everything up with DRR. Hopefully we can get the rest together for the whole season. I’m really, really excited and happy to be here. I think the team is very professional and I have great teammates with Mike Conway and Justin Wilson. I hope that I can learn a lot from these British drivers. This is very special for me doing my debut in the IZOD IndyCar race at my home event. It’s also very special to be the first female Brazilian race car driver to race there and it will be a great experience,” stated Ana Beatriz.
Ana Beatriz will put her talent and experience to the test this weekend at Sebring International Raceway. Tomorrow will mark the first day for her to get behind the wheel of an IndyCar. Once the test is complete, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will head back to Indianapolis to put the final touches on the cars before heading to Brazil for the IZOD IndyCar Series opener on March 14th. For more updates on the team please visit www.dreyerreinboldracing.com.
About Dreyer and Reinbold Racing:
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is entering its 11th season of full-time competition in 2010, making it one of the longest-tenured teams in Indy Racing League competition. Current co-owners, Dennis Reinbold and Robbie Buhl, first teamed in full-time competition at the Walt Disney World Speedway in January of 2000. With Buhl behind the wheel, the two owners tasted victory in their debut race. The 2009 IndyCar Series season-opener on the streets of St.Petersburg marked Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s 200th series start. DRR now has over 240 starts to tuck under its belt and has qualified a total of 23 cars for the Indianapolis 500. In its history, the team has boasted a championship list of alumni drivers. Besides Buhl, the team has run Indianapolis 500 winners, Al Unser, Jr., Buddy Lazier, and Buddy Rice, along with IndyCar Series race winner Ryan Briscoe. The team has one of the longest lines of heritage in American open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 as Dennis Reinbold’s grandfather, "Pop" Dreyer, built leading roadsters that raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
More information on the team can be found at www.dreyerreinboldracing.com.
More information on the IndyCar Series can be found at www.indycar.com.
