Decade of Change

By Dave Lewandowski - Indycar.com

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Starting 22nd in the 26-car field of the Delphi Indy 200 certainly didn't inspire or empower Robbie Buhl. Truth be told, it's about what the veteran IndyCar Series driver expected in the 2000 season opener at Walt Disney World Speedway with the newly-formed Dreyer & Reinbold Racing outfit.

But between a "good luck" handshake from team principal Dennis Reinbold and a Lap 176 caution flag for a spin on the backstretch by Doug Didero's car, Buhl found himself and the No. 24 Team Purex car in contention for the victory. Finally, a late-race dash around Eddie Cheever Jr.'s Team Cheever entry gave Buhl the impetus to beat Buddy Lazier to the checkers by 3.165 seconds.

Welcome to the IndyCar Series, Dreyer & Reinbold. Nice entrance.

More than 28,000 laps have been logged and more than 50,000 miles recorded since. Now Dreyer & Reinbold Racing reaches its 200th IndyCar Series race this weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

"In some ways, it seems like it was just yesterday that it was our first race and we rolled out in Orlando after three weeks of preparing and scrambling to get onto the track," Reinbold says. "In other ways, it seems like it's been quite awhile.

"You think of the people and the faces that have come and gone and changed in the sport in the past 10 years. Things are definitely different today in a much better way. This is a bigger business than when we first started. When we first started, it was a small, everybody- pitch-in- type of environment. Now it's a much bigger, more solid type of environment in which people are still willing to work together and there's a cohesiveness but also the competitive level has gone up quite a bit. So the evolution has been very interesting over the last 10 years."

It's been a decade of evolution for Buhl, too, who stepped out of the cockpit in 2004 to concentrate on full-time ownership. With 78 starts (30 top-10 finishes, including two victories), he notes it initially was "a tough transition."

"Ever since I was a kid I wanted to race cars," Buhl says. "When I was a driver-owner, I was involved in different components of how we were growing this team. But at the end of the day my ultimate responsibility was driving that race car. It's been a tough transition to learn how I enjoy not having the ultimate responsibility of not always driving and the success over here. Now, as an owner and playing that role without having any driving responsibility, my focus is spread amongst different things."

Buhl is heavily involved in the sponsorship aspects, while Reinbold looks after more of the operational duties at the Indianapolis-based shop and at the racetracks on the calendar.

"There are so many pieces that make a race team successful, and part of the reason why we're going into our 10th year is both Dennis and I disagree on some things but the end result is good," Buhl says, a smirk growing as he crosses glances with Reinbold. "For the most part, we contribute different things to this team and we're really thinking the same way even if we haven't talked about it.

"We're 10 years into it, but we're still learning and growing this team."

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing sprouted from the desire of Reinbold, an Indianapolis native and auto dealer, to be more than a spectator of the Indianapolis 500. The first half of the team name is an homage to Reinbold's grandfather, Floyd "Pop" Dreyer, a motorcycle racer and later a renown race car builder.

"I went to the race all the time and wanted to be a part of it in some way," he says. "I really didn't have some type of entrance to be involved until Infiniti became involved as an engine manufacturer, and being on the Infiniti advisory board at the time I knew the people running the program and they agreed to provide the engine. That was our entrance into IndyCars."

Driver alumni include 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice, two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr., Sarah Fisher, Ryan Briscoe, Memo Gidley and Felipe Giaffone - individuals who have helped move the team forward in different ways over the past decade.

"I stay in it because I see the potential and direction of where we're going as a team and I know that we can compete and run up front," Reinbold says. "To develop something like that fits well with my personality. I want to compete and be the best, and when you're having a good race your adrenaline gets going and the blood starts pumping and it's an exciting feeling to have and you want more of those. It's worth the hard work and effort to put ourselves in a position to win a race.

"That's always our goal, and we have a clear understanding of what it will take to get back in Victory Lane. Every measurable aspect we have greatly improved Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the '09 season. You take pride in things like that and want to see those things come together and ultimately translate on the racetrack as a victory."

The team enters this weekend with Englishmen Mike Conway and Darren Manning in the Nos. 21 and 23 cars on the 1.8-mile temporary street course. There is, however, limited time to celebrate the occasion of its 200th race -- it's the start of another highly-anticipated season. A celebration in Victory Lane would be perfect, according to Buhl, who's looking to moving the team forward on all planks in the next decade.

"First and foremost, it comes back to what we can do for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing," he says. "But we care about the sport and want the series to succeed and we want to be here 10 years from now. We've made great strides but we want to win races. You have to have that taste of champagne to keep you driving. The effort that is being put forth today is hopefully what will make us be around five, 10 years down the road."

"To be in this business and be in the roles we are in I love it. We have to remind ourselves we get to go to the racetrack today. We might have some challenges today that you can't wait to leave the racetrack, but then the next day you can't wait to get there."