Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Has Ups and Downs in Long Beach

Long Beach, CA - (April 19, 2009) Dreyer & Reinbold Racing had some ups and downs for the second round of the IndyCar Series at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The team showed consistent speed all weekend long, but time and traffic didn't help them early on in qualifying as Mike Conway, pilot of the No. 24 Dad's Root Beer machine and Darren Manning driver of the other DRR car, both qualified 16th and 18th respectively for the race.

As the green flag dropped, both Manning and Conway were off to a very good start. They had a clean first lap and immediately went into fuel conservation mode. The twelve laps were problem free and then the story began to change.

Rookie Mike Conway was taking advantage of his opportunity, as he gained positions and was running well. Things started to turn for the Brit on lap 12 when the AGS (assisted gearshift system) was malfunctioning from that point on. This made the car difficult to drive as the shifting was inconsistent, which finally caught Conway out. As a result, it ended his race.

It was a similar story for Conway's teammate, Manning. The 33 year-old had a clean first lap, and was driving a steady race. On lap 22, the Brit was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he got collected in the five car pile up, running into the back of Hideki Mutoh. He came in on lap 24, replaced his front nose, changed tires and refueled. Unfortunately the incident put Manning a lap down as he finished 16th for the race.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing heads back to Indianapolis and then onto Kansas for the third round of the IndyCar Series season. The team will hit the pavement April 26th for the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300.

What they have to say...

Mike Conway

"Today was a really tough race. In the beginning we were fine and were making up positions keeping with the guys ahead. We were saving fuel and then we started having issues with the electronic shift assist and unfortunately, that's what ended my day early. Now, we just have to put this race behind us and move onto Kansas."

Darren Manning

"It's a bit of shame that we got caught up in that mess in the hairpin. I had nowhere to go and ended up underneath the rear wheels of Hideki Mutoh. We were definitely quick enough. It was unfortunate to be a lap down, because we had the speed and could have definitely been in the top ten."

Dennis Reinbold

"We are a little disappointed. Our cars were quick most of the weekend and we know that there was more in the cars. We will just move on and prepare for Kansas."

About Dreyer and Reinbold Racing

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing enters its 10th season of full-time competition in 2009, 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 on April 3-5 will mark Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's 200th series start. 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.