Indianapolis, IN (January 17, 2012) - Dreyer &
Reinbold Racing is excited to announce that Spanish driver Oriol
Servia will join the team full-time for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar
Series season.
Servia, a native of Catalonia, Spain, will be joining the
Indianapolis-based squad for the first time. The Spaniard is coming
off of an impressive 2011 season in which he qualified third for
the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500,
recorded eleven top-10 finishes, was one of three drivers to be
running at the finish in all 17 races, led all drivers in laps
completed (2,103 of 2,011) and was the only driver to finish in the
top-10 in the first five races of the season. As a result,
Servia finished 4th in the overall IZOD IndyCar Series
championship.
"With a new engine, new chassis and a revamped engineering
department, we believe it is crucial to have a highly talented
veteran driver to be able to develop these new components. Oriol
has always been a smart driver and has always put himself and his
team in a position to win races. We are going to have to be
well prepared to take advantage of his abilities and we look
forward to the challenge," commented Dennis Reinbold, Dreyer &
Reinbold Racing Co-Owner.
The veteran driver not only brings a wealth of experience to the
table, but many accolades as well. His success in open-wheel racing
includes a runner-up finish in the 2005 Champ Car World Series
point standings as well as winning the 1999 Indy Lights
championship, where he finished second in five races and earned
three pole positions. Servia also gave Dale Coyne Racing its first
podium finish since 1996 with a third-place run at Laguna Seca in
2004.
"I couldn't be more excited, for many reasons. DRR is a
team that I raced against since 2008 and they've always shown to be
very professional at the racetrack. Although I knew the
owners, I didn't know them very well, to be honest. Before
signing with the team, like everybody else, I did my research and I
couldn't find one individual that didn't speak highly of Dennis or
Robbie, which gave me a lot of confidence. I went to the
team's sponsor summit last week and met all of their partners that
they have been involved with for many, many years, which was
another clear sign that they are good people," commented
Servia.
The Spaniard is eager to begin pre-season testing and debut the
new DW12 at the first event in St. Petersburg. "I started on the
front row for the Indianapolis 500 and I want to improve on
that. I'm at the best point in my career and it was very
important to partner with the right team. When I visited the
DRR facility in Indianapolis, I couldn't have been more
impressed. We are starting with a new engine and chassis, and
I have confidence in Lotus and our ability to develop a quality
product in 2012. When you have everyone pulling in the same
direction like we are now is when we can accomplish our goals,"
continued Servia.
Feeling the same enthusiasm as the rest is co-owner Robbie Buhl.
"I think that Oriol can be a real asset to us and with the
development with our partnership with Lotus and the DW12. His
experience throughout his career will be pivotal in how we develop
the new car and new motor. He had a fantastic season last
year with Newman Haas and we are excited to have him as a part of
our team going forward," said Buhl.
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing continues to work towards a second
full-time entry for the 2012 season. Please stay tuned for
more announcements to come in the following weeks. For more updates
on the team, please visit www.dreyerreinboldracing.com.