DREYER & REINBOLD RACING SEEKS SPEED IN FRIDAY'S INDY 500 PRACTICE

9 May 2009

INDIANAPOLIS  (May 8, 2009)— Threatening weather at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday kept the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team on its heels during practice runs.
The four drivers — John Andretti, Mike Conway, Milka Duno and Davey Hamilton — worked through a variety of setups in hopes finding a new component for speed on the legendary two and a half mile oval.  The skies were filled with clouds and off-and-on rain showers as the team prepared for Saturday’s first round of qualification runs for this year’s 2009 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
The DRR engineering crew faced some tough odds with the charging conditions and developing rain throughout the Friday afternoon practice session.  After Wednesday’s rainout for opening day, all of the racing teams were put into a hurry-up mode for the next two days.
Luckily, both Thursday and Friday practice sessions were completed without massive rain delays, and the DRR quartet kept trying new settings for their respective Honda-powered Dallara cars.
John Andretti, in the No. 43 Richard Petty Window World Honda Dallara, was the fastest of the four with a speed of 222.079 miles per hour in his 29 laps Friday for 20th overall. Hamilton, in the No. 44 HP Kingdom Racing Honda Dallara, recorded a 221.910 m.p.h. and 22rd among the 32 drivers on track.  Hamilton completed 25 laps Friday.
British rookie Conway, in the No. 24 Purex DRR Honda Dallara, finished the day with 56 laps run and a best speed of 220.500 m.p.h. with Duno, in the No. 23 CITGO DRR Honda Dallara, made 39 laps with a best of 219.699 m.p.h.
A one-hour practice session will be run on Saturday morning at the Speedway before time trials begin at noon. The first eleven spots for the 33-driver starting grid will be established on Saturday.   

 
DREYER & REINBOLD QUOTES:
MIKE CONWAY, No. 24 Purex Dreyer& Reinbold Honda Dallara: Our goal for today was basically to improve on what we learned from yesterday.  We were able to get some laps in, but we would have liked to be able to get some more in. We learned in some areas and will have to go back in some other areas. We are looking okay.  Obviously with all of the cars that we have we can exchange a lot of data and see where one learns.  Qualifying is only tomorrow and we need to be ready for that.”