The 2012 IndyCar champion, who has 18 Indy car wins to his name was a fixture at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from his sixth-place finish for Rahal Letterman Lanigan in 2008 until 2021, his 12th start for Andretti Autosport.
Hunter-Reay has started from the Indy front row twice and has accrued six top-10 finishes. Yet his triumph over Helio Castroneves by a mere 0.06s in 2014, after an epic battle in the closing laps, came after he qualified only 19th.
“I am thrilled to have Ryan Hunter-Reay join our lineup for the 2023 Indianapolis 500,” said Dennis Reinbold, team owner of DRR, who has entered 45 cars in the Memorial Day Weekend classic since 2000. “Ryan is a proven winner at the Speedway and is a tremendously talented driver who is a great addition to our team for this year’s 500.”
DRR is coming off back-to-back top 10 finishes at Indianapolis with Sage Karam (2021) and Santino Ferrucci (’22). Its best result was fourth in 2012 with Oriol Servia at the wheel.
Hunter-Reay, who has been absent from an IndyCar cockpit since losing his Andretti ride at the end of ’21, said: “I’ve been eager to share this news for quite some time. This partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing presents a unique opportunity for me and I can’t wait to get back on track at IMS.
“I feel laser-focused and energised. The Indy 500 isn’t just a motor race, for me; it’s a way of life.
“I was incredibly attracted to the fact that DRR is a streamlined program that puts all of its energy into the month of May. I guess you can say I’m going back to my roots, considering how I started my IndyCar career with smaller teams that took the fight to the bigger efforts and won.
“If you look at DRR’s record at Indy and their impressive recent results, the pool of talented engineers and crew; it’s a perfect fit.
“Dennis Reinbold embodies everything the Indy 500 is about. He is, without a doubt, one of the Indy 500’s most passionate entrants. I look forward to working with him, the entire team, and my teammate Stefan Wilson.”