Dreyer & Reinbold Racing enters the Peak Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend fully prepared to get back on an oval. This will mark the team’s ninth time to compete at the 1.5-mile oval, and piloting the DRR machines will be, Ana Beatriz who will drive the No. 24 Dad’s Root Beer car, and Justin Wilson who will get behind the wheel of the No. 22 Z-Line Designs car.
With two 2nd place finishes under his belt so far this season, Justin Wilson is ready to switch gears completely and get back into oval mode. This weekend will be the Brit’s third time to compete at Chicagoland Speedway. In 2008, he qualified 21st and finished in 11th place and in 2009 he started 15th and finished 10th. Since joining the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2008, Wilson has recorded six top-10 finishes (2008: Kansas-9th, Milwaukee-7th, Richmond-7th, 2009: Chicagoland-10th, Homestead-10th , 2010: Indianapolis-7th) on ovals. He has led on an oval twice, (2008—Kansas led for five laps at Kansas, 2010—Indianapolis 500—led for 11 laps). Wilson’s best qualifying position on an oval was 8th position at Kentucky in 2009.
Earlier this season, Wilson earned DRR’s best result since team co-owner, Robbie Buhl, won in 2000 at Walt Disney World Speedway as he came home with 2nd place finishes for the organization in St. Petersburg, Florida and in Long Beach, California. Long Beach marked his seventh career top-five finish, all have been on street/road courses. He started competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2008 and since then he has won on a street course (2008 Belle Isle) and a road course (2009 Watkins Glen). Since 2008, Wilson has advanced to 15 Firestone Fast Six qualifying sessions. Out of those sessions, he has qualified in the top-5 ten times. So far this season, he has started 3rd in Brazil, 4th in St. Petersburg, 3rd in Long Beach, 6th in Watkins Glen, and 1st in Toronto.
Returning to the team this weekend will be Brazilian Ana Beatriz. She will replace the injured Mike Conway and will drive the team’s No. 24 Dad’s Root Beer entry for the Peak Indy 300, August 28th. So far this season, she has two starts for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing under her belt. Beatriz is ready to visit Chicago for her third time, but it will be her first time in the top level of the sport. Bia’s previous two starts at the track were in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, the ladder program of IZOD IndyCar, where she recorded her best finish of second in 2008.
The Brazilian driver made her IZOD IndyCar debut at her home race in Brazil a couple of months ago and again in May at the Indianapolis 500. The Sao Paulo native proved that she was ready to be in the IZOD IndyCar Series as she was the highest finishing rookie and female for the season opener. Beatriz competed in the Firestone Indy Lights category for the last two seasons. Her accomplishments include finishing third in 2008 in the Firestone Indy Lights point standings for Sam Schmidt Motorsports with one win, nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes. Beatriz also became the first female driver to win in Firestone Indy Lights when she won at Nashville in July. As a result, she was named winner of the Firestone Indy Lights Rising Star Award. For 2007, she tested for A1 Team Brazil in A1GP at China. In 2006, Beatriz finished fifth in South American Formula 3 with five podium finishes and one pole. She was named winner of the São Paulo Citizen Driver. In 2005, Beatriz became the first female to ever win a Formula Renault race and she went on to finish third in Formula Renault Brazil with three wins (Campo Grande, Vitória and Tarumã) and four pole positions (Campo Grande, Vitória, Interlagos (twice). Beatriz won a Gold Helmet Award and in 2004 finished fifth in Brazilian Formula Renault.
What they have to say…
Justin Wilson, No. 22 Z-Line Designs: “I’m looking forward to getting back on an oval. Out of the mile and half tracks that we run on, Chicagoland is the one that I like the most. The goal starting this weekend is to just keep progressing and get stronger and my aim is to get into the top-10. I think that we are more than capable. We just need to get everything right and I think that we can.”
Ana Beatriz, No. 24 Dad’s Root Beer: “I am very honored to be replacing Mike Conway in the Dad"s Root Beer Car. I have been to Chicagoland twice and took 2nd place in 2008. I hope my past experience at Chicago pays off with a good finish. It will be my first 1.5mile with this car and hopefully it won"t be much different from Indianapolis. I am very excited to be back with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. I would like to thank Dennis Reinbold, Robbie Buhl and Larry Curry for their confidence. During the past 3 months my agents, Andre Ribeiro, Augusto Cesario and I, have been working on establishing a full season program for 2011. In order to stay fit, I have been karting and I have added a new challenge to my calendar like the Rio de Janeiro Half Marathon which I completed this last Sunday.”
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