Dennis Reinbold Eyes Indy 500 Win With Karam, Ferrucci

Among all of the teams competing in the Indianapolis 500 this year, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is the only one that is not running another IndyCar race on the schedule. The team is unique in that regard, but this is a full-time racing organization.

Outside of Indianapolis, the DRR crew stays busy with a full-time Nitro Rallycross entry. Team owner Dennis Reinbold values their experience. "With IndyCar veterans, ranging from engineers all the way through our technicians, it is really an advantage that we have. We felt really well prepared with Indy 500 mechanics. We have won a lot of races and championships in rallycross and we keep active and racing all year long."

The team now has a pair of drivers in Sage Karam and Santino Ferrucci that share a very similar driving style.

"I’m pleased how Sage and Santino have worked together," Reinbold said. "Obviously they have known each other for nearly 20 years back in karting. But this is their first time with an IndyCar team as teammates. And our engineering staff has blended together with our two drivers."

“These guys are both aggressive drivers, which I like. Santino has been ultra-focused and really knows what he’s after, and we’re trying to accommodate that. The good news is both guys really like a lot of the same things in the car, so we’re working well together.”

The two drivers are similar in many ways, which should help them head to the front on Sunday.

“Our relationship started at the racetrack, but it went beyond the racetrack when we were really little,” Karam said. “And you don’t have many people like that, especially in professional sports. It’s cool, it’s something we share.”

“It’s quite interesting our whole story,” Karam said. “We grew up racing at the same go kart track as each other. I’ve known him since I was like 5 years old. I’m a couple of years older than him but we’d race every weekend at this track in New York. He went the Europe route and I went the American route.”

"I’ve known him for almost 20 years, so being teammates, knowing we drive the same, we do all the things the same, it’s just a pretty chill couple of weeks,” Ferrucci said. “We’re just excited to kick some butt, dude. I mean, bottom line is we’re underdogs and we’re going to show up and try to perform like top dogs.”

“Santino’s family owned the go kart track that me and Marco Andretti would grow up racing at. It’s rare for the same state to have multiple people in the Indy 500 together let alone three from the same track. We’ve known each other our whole lives basically. We were teammates in go karting a little bit and now we’re teammates in the Indy 500. It’s come full circle.”

Karam joked that they could switch cars and not even notice. “When I was teammates with JR Hildebrand he liked the car a lot different than me. We’d go so separate from each other that it’s almost like you’re not even teammates. With Santino as a teammate, it’s comforting and positive. That’s what is going to be fast in traffic.”

Sage will be making his ninth Indy 500 start on Sunday. All but one of those will have come in a DRR car. Leading laps and finishing 7th last year was his best result. It is even more impressive when you consider that he started from the last row. He has actually started 31st in his last three Indy 500 races, as well as his very first start in 2014. He certainly knows how to go forward from there.

In the last 40 years of this race, the driver starting in 31st has only finished inside of the top ten on three occasions. Two of those belong to Karam.

"Our cars are some of the nicest put together cars on the grid," Karam lauded. "That’s a lot of hard work from everybody at the shop putting a lot of love into those cars all year long. These guys go the extra mile for sure. That’s what I’ve always loved about Dreyer and Reinbold. I know I’m going to be getting in a car that is properly ready to roll. The best parts they have are on that car."

Ferrucci has been sensational in his three Indy 500 starts. As a rookie in 2019 with Dale Coyne Racing, he started 23rd and finished 7th. The next year he started 19th and finished 4th. Last year he started 23rd and finished 6th for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He has also led laps in all three races.

Speaking of RLL Racing, the 23-year old filled in for the team on short notice back in March at Texas. Jack Harvey was unable to drive after his crash at St Petersburg. In less-than-ideal circumstances, Ferrucci took the No. 45 Honda from the 27th starting spot and finished in 9th place.

In qualifying on Saturday, the drivers had to deal with less than ideal track conditions. Ferrucci had a solid run and qualified 15th for the race, while Karam rolls off in 22nd after Mother Nature interrupted him yet again. The results are not what they were hoping for, but the race has been won from those starting positions a combined six times over the years.

Monday's practice session allowed the team the chance to dial in their cars for race day, which went very well. "We ran over 80 laps and learned even more about our race car," Karam said. "Being in the top-ten with race trim is very encouraging and I’m ready for Sunday." Ferrucci echoed those same sentiments. "We made a bunch of long stints with race setup, and I feel pretty confident in the car. I feel like our car is just getting better and better."

Reinbold has now qualified 45 entries as a car owner dating back to the 1999 season. Last year’s race was won by a small team, and these two drivers will be aiming to do the same this Sunday.