Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Brings Indiana Connection of Partners

AES Indiana/500 Festival/Sun King/Mecum To 105th Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (May 24, 2021) – Dennis Reinbold’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES team has returned to the famed Indianapolis 500 with a unique local flavor this year.

The Indianapolis businessman and racing enthusiast brings an “Indiana Connection” with his entry in the 105th edition of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” as several Indiana-based corporations have teamed with the family whose 500 traditional dates back to 1927.

Reinbold grew up just one and a half miles from the historic “Brickyard” racing plant and his legacy at the two-and-a-half-mile oval track goes back to his legendary grandfather, Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, who served as a crewman and mechanic on the Duesenberg team in the late 1920s. In fact, Dreyer built a variety of Indy 500 vehicles including the entire 1931 front row.

So, bringing the likes of AES Indiana, the 500 Festival Foundation, Sun King Brewery and, even, the largest auto auction in the Capitol city, Mecum Auctions, as a group to the world’s biggest auto racing event was a natural.

“This will be our team’s 22nd Indy 500 competition,” said Reinbold. “But, of course, our family’s Indy 500 legacy goes back to my grandfather as well as my uncles who served on many Indy 500 crews. So, we wanted an Indianapolis-themed car this year with our young driver Sage Karam. We are so excited to bring AES Indiana and the 500 Festival together on the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet for this year’s Indy 500. And we have other local partners like Mecum and Sun King who have been with our team for many years.

“The 500 Festival is near and dear to me, and the whole team, as we have always admired and supported the work that the non-profit organization does in our community as well as the traditions it upholds for the Indy 500 and the entire month of May.”

Karam, who will start his eighth Indy 500 this Sunday at age 26, also spent many years as an Indianapolis resident and appreciates the local connection to the Indy 500.

“This connection with our partners like AES Indiana and the 500 Festival is just a perfect match for Dennis’ Indy-based team,” said Karam. “We have a new look with new partners, and we believe we have prepared our No. 24 car as well as ever. The attention to detail is phenomenal and I want to applaud our crew for its efforts. We believe the fans will be rooting for this Indy Connection too.”

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the annual AES 500 Festival Parade has been postponed for a second consecutive year, but the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team can continue the corporation’s involvement with month of May in Indianapolis.

In addition, the popular Omaze company brings a special Indy 500 “Sweepstakes” contest with the 500 Festival to win a 2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Indy 500 Pace Car as well as a wild Indy 500 VIP Experience in 2022. 

“We are very pleased to have AES Indiana, the 500 Festival Foundation and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing together for an exciting way to celebrate the month of May and the AES 500 Festival Parade,” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO of the 500 Festival. “We are also excited to highlight this incredible opportunity with Omaze and build awareness of the mission of the 500 Festival to enrich lives, foster positive community impact, and celebrate the Indy 500.”

“This affiliation with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is an outstanding way to showcase our brand transition from IPL to AES Indiana at this year’s Indy 500,” said Kristina Lund, president and CEO, AES Indiana. “This is a unique partnership, and we are honored to team up with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and the 500 Festival as they share the same commitment to this community and the month of May in Indy.”

About the 500 Festival

Founded in 1957, the 500 Festival is a not-for-profit organization that produces more than 50 life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 and positively impact the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. One of the largest festivals in the nation, each year more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $500 million in economic value to Indianapolis. To learn more about the 500 Festival, please visit www.500festival.com or follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram

About AES Indiana

AES Indiana, an AES Company, provides retail electric service to more than 500,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Indianapolis, as well as portions of other Central Indiana communities surrounding Marion County. During its long history, AES Indiana has supplied its customers with some of the lowest-cost, most reliable power in the country.  Connect with AES Indiana on TwitterFacebook and LinkedIn.  For more information about how AES Indiana is accelerating the future of energy, visit aesindiana.com/hellofuture.

About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was founded in 1999 by Indianapolis car dealer Dennis Reinbold. The legacy of the Dreyer and Reinbold family dates back to the 1920s with Reinbold’s grandfather, the legendary Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, a former factory motorcycle racer. Dreyer served as a crewman and mechanic on the famed Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoaff and Babe Stapp in the 1927 Indy 500. Dreyer went on to build Indy 500 cars in the 1930s which many started on the front row. In addition, Dreyer constructed championship-winning sprint cars and midgets as well as quarter midgets called Dreyerettes. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing captured its first win in 2000 with driver Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., and has fielded a variety of drivers including Buhl, Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Al Unser Jr., Sage Karam and J.R. Hildebrand. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified all 42 drivers for the Indy 500 in its history. DRR, who competed in the Rallycross for the first time in 2015, captured the 2016 Lites rallycross championship.

About Omaze

Omaze is an online fundraising platform that offers the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences and prizes to support nonprofits around the world. Omaze experiences connect influencers, nonprofits and donors to create lasting impact. Through the Omaze platform, people from more than 180 countries have made donations that support over 350 charities, driving substantial levels of awareness for their work. Omaze has raised more than $130M for causes to date, and was named to the 2020 list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.