Bobby Travis · NASCAR/IndyCar Correspondent
A traditional team is back, and with Conor Daly the comeback has a familiar face from day one.
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (DRR) has not competed full-time in the NTT IndyCar Series since 2012. In recent years the team only showed up as an extra entry at the Indianapolis 500. That is about to change: DRR returns to the full championship in 2027 with Conor Daly on a multiyear deal. On Monday, October 26, driver and team hit the track together for the first time at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.
A charter secures the spot on the grid
There is a concrete reason DRR can race full-time again at all: over the summer, the team acquired a charter from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, guaranteeing it a permanent place in the series. Without that move, a return on this scale would hardly have been possible, since charters are a scarce commodity on the IndyCar grid.
On top of the charter deal, DRR is switching from Chevrolet to Honda engines as part of its full-time return. For a team that has only been at the Indy 500 on a part-time basis for more than a decade, that means more than a new partnership on paper. It also means months of groundwork on setup and infrastructure before the first test mile can even be driven.
Conor Daly as the face of the comeback
In Conor Daly, DRR has signed a driver who is no stranger to the team. Daly has already started the Indianapolis 500 twice for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, finishing tenth in 2024 and twelfth in 2026. He is regarded as an experienced, versatile driver with a loyal fan base. The fact that he has now signed a multiyear deal for the full schedule shows how seriously both sides are taking this project.
For Daly himself, joining a team with a genuine full-time program should be a clear step up in his standing in the IndyCar paddock. After years of changing or reduced programs, he now has a clear, longer-term outlook with a team that is visibly rebuilding.
First test miles at Barber, the race calendar awaits
On October 26, Daly and DRR turned their first laps together in the No. 24 Honda at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Four drivers were on track that day, and Daly set the third-fastest time. Only Hunter McElrea at 1:07.557 and Alex Dunne at 1:07.674 were quicker. For a team that has been away from a full program for so long, early tests like this are crucial: the goal is to get car, engine partner and crew working together before the real thing starts on the race calendar.
How much of DRR's long break still shows will only become clear once Daly is fighting the established competition for positions. The foundations for the comeback, a charter, an engine partner and an experienced driver, are already in place.
