Dennis Reinbold (DRR photo)

By Jacob Seelman, SWN News Editor

INDIANAPOLIS (June 13, 2026) – American open-wheel team owner Dennis Reinbold, a staple of the NTT IndyCar Series paddock for more than two decades, has died at the age of 65.

Reinbold’s passing, following an extended battle with cancer, was announced Sunday evening.

“We are heartbroken to share the news that our owner, leader, and friend, Dennis Reinbold, has passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family,” read a statement from Dreyer & Reinbold Racing officials. “We ask you to join us in supporting the Reinbold family and respecting their privacy during this painful time.

“Dennis was a proud son of Indianapolis. He built a successful family of automobile dealerships across the state, and he loved the community of Indianapolis that gave him so much in return. That same devotion fueled his passion for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – its history and the relentless pursuit of an Indy 500 win drove him every day. …

“We ask race fans to join us in remembering the man, his passion for our sport, and the memories we shared.”

The Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team he co-owned made its biggest mark at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the famed facility that Reinbold grew up in the shadows of as a youth, contesting every Indianapolis 500 from 2000 onward and never failing to have at least one car in the iconic event.

In fact, Reinbold was so enamored with the Speedway and what it meant – thanks to the influence of his grandfather, legendary open-wheel mechanic, engine builder and parts developer Floyd ‘Pop’ Dreyer – that he put his grandfather’s name alongside his own when founding DRR at the turn of the millennium.

Even before DRR’s first ‘500’, the Indiana-based car dealer-turned Indy car owner’s organization stormed onto the scene by winning its debut race at Walt Disney World Speedway, in what was then known as the Indy Racing League.

On January 29, 2000, Robbie Buhl started 22nd but drove masterfully through the field, eventually leading 49 laps and winning the Delphi Indy 200 at the one-mile oval by 3.165 seconds over Buddy Lazier.

Buhl made the race-winning pass with two laps left on Eddie Cheever Jr. and provided a triumphant moment in the spotlight for the Reinbold family.

Reinbold’s squad never again reached the pinnacle of Indy car racing, but it did compete full time from 2000 through the first half of the 2013 season, after which DRR turned its focus exclusively to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

In all, 31 drivers competed in at least one Indy car race under Reinbold’s leadership, including the likes of Graham Rahal, Sarah Fisher, Ryan Briscoe, Sage Karam, and the late Justin Wilson and John Andretti.

Indy 500 winners who raced for DRR at some point in their careers included Al Unser Jr., Buddy Lazier, Buddy Rice, and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who famously led the 2025 ‘500’ in its closing stages before running short on fuel just before his final pit stop.

His car stalled while receiving service and Hunter-Reay wound up 21st, not representative of just how close “the little team that could” came to being “the little team that did”.

“[This is] devastating in so many ways,” Hunter-Reay wrote on social media Sunday. “We’ve lost a true friend, leader, fierce competitor, [and] family man. He embodied the essence of pure passion for the Indy 500 and IndyCar.”

Reinbold watched his team field two entries in this year’s ‘500’, with Conor Daly finishing 12th after leading four laps and Jack Harvey placing 22nd.

Sunday night, both drivers saluted the man who led the way for them in the wake of his passing.

“Dennis, what a pleasure it has been to be a part of your organization over the years,” said Daly in a public statement. “The passion for IndyCar racing you had and the tremendous culture you built within the team is something to be extremely proud of. I can’t thank you enough for the chance to compete at the front of the Indy 500. Wish I could have [gotten] one for you this year. We will miss you, my friend.”

“There are no words to describe this loss,” added Harvey. “Dennis was a brilliant leader. His commitment and passion for motorsports was second to none. My favorite part about Dennis was his ability to make everyone feel special and that they had a special relationship with him! What a beautiful thing. I am so proud and grateful to have spent the last two Indy 500s racing for him and will continue to help and support the team for his legacy.”

Reinbold’s cars often made themselves the underdog efforts to watch and were a story not just in performance, but perseverance and heart, as IndyCar President J Douglas Boles alluded to when remembering his longtime friend.

“Dennis is a shining example of character, compassion, and leadership,” wrote Boles on X (formerly known as Twitter). “He was a mentor [and] example of how to treat [and] lead people and follow your passion, without compromising character while doing it.

“Thanks for 25-plus [years] of friendship and for blazing a trail that many of us try to follow.”

DRR officials indicated in the team’s Sunday-evening statement that the De Bord family, co-founders of DRR, intends to continue Reinbold’s legacy by returning to the grid for the 2027 Indianapolis 500 – just as Reinbold himself did for the past 27 years.

“We can think of no better way to honor Dennis than to chase a victory in the 111th running of the Indianapolis 500.”