Conway's Oval Learning Curve Continues in Friday Practice

INDIANAPOLIS - (May 8, 2009) Last year, Mike Conway was driving the GP2 formula car road racing circuit. In fact, Conway's entire racing career has been run on roads.

The 25-year-old rookie driver from Sevenoaks, Kent, England, has been going through a huge learning curve this year in the 2009 IndyCar Series since over half of the 17-race tour is contested on oval tracks. Conway had never seen an oval track before testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway in February. Conway drove in his first oval race two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway, and the young Brit is gaining oval experience with each lap. The big two and a half mile oval in Indianapolis is an imposing figure for a rookie driver in the Indy 500.

Conway is using the knowledge of veterans like teammates John Andretti and Davey Hamilton to help him work on his oval racing craft. Other rookies like Robert Doornbos also are oval novices. On Friday, Conway ran 39 laps during practice with a best speed of 220.500 miles per hour, 29th fastest for the day in the No. 24 Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Honda Dallara.

But Conway knows he is learning day-by-day how to handle an oval track Conway passed his Rookie Orientation Program on Tuesday afternoon and had to sit in his DRR garage on Wednesday and watch the rain all day. Conway's new mount was introduced this week at the Speedway with Purex Complete 3-in-1 as the new primary sponsor for the No. 24 Honda-powered car this month at Indianapolis. Purex returns to the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team after many successful seasons with current co-owner Robbie Buhl at the wheel.

What they have to say...

MIKE CONWAY, No. 24 Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Honda Dallara:

"Our goal for today was basically to improve on what we learned from yesterday. We were able to get some laps in, but we would have liked to be able to get some more in. We learned in some areas and will have to go back in some other areas. We are looking okay. Obviously with all of the cars that we have we can exchange a lot of data and see where one learns. Qualifying is only tomorrow and we need to be ready for that."

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.