One Team That Is Overdue for Some Good Luck

[Tim Northcutt]

I'm strictly talking about on the track...

If this dealt with finances, or life issues, or needing a break to race, the list would grow exponentially....

The Team?

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

Since their win at Orlando in 2000, the only luck they have had on the race track since has been bad....

Many times since, and especially in 2001 or 2002, they were leading, or in the Top Five in late stages of the race only to be bitten hard by fate and finished well down in the final race results....

The reasons also were many....a small part breaks in the final laps to turn a top level finish into a bottom-of-the-chart final result...a final pit stop that sets them up for a top finish only to have a yellow come out right after they return to the track before the other leaders had to stop...thus putting them a lap or two down on a short oval and totally out of the hunt...

At Indy, they were the fastest car on the track with 50 laps to go in 2001, with Helio blocking incessantly to fight Robbie Buhl off, only to have Robbie push it one little bit too hard and ending his day on the wall...

In 2002, they started in the middle of the front row...only to chase set-ups throughout their brief time in the race before having an engine let go...

2003 was the story of the Chevy's lack of power, and because of other low finishes due to various turns of racing fate last year, they got the "Chevy-worths" last....with only a few events to try to get familiar with, and to set up the new engine...

With Team Manager John O'Gara, Chief Mechanic Dan Miller, and Engineer Owen Snyder III, they have a trio of superbly talented top-notch people running the key elements of their racing operations...

Robbie Buhl is a solid driver...and from everything I've read or have been told, he is a great guy...and a real Class Act as a person...

I really hope that...if nothing else....the Law of Averages catches up with this team and that a "good" break or two will come their way this season....instead of the many "bad" orns, or "mechanical" ones that seem to always come their way...

They have the talent both on the track and especially in the garage to be fast and successful...and they operate well with a much smaller budget than others have....

NOTE: They ran strong at Homestead in testing on an engine that had quite a few miles on it....but "personally tested the new SAFER barrier" at Phoenix and had to sit out nearly all of the two-day test session...

I really wish them the best this weekend, and will be pulling for them all season long...

They deserve a good break...it's long overdue....


Are there others who might deserve the same turn in fortune??

Sahre your thoughts on this subject...

[GP Racer]

I have two teams that I'm really hoping can bring back some of the glory days.

The first is Scott Sharp and Kelley Racing. Scott had a great year in 2001, coming in third in the championship, and getting the pole at the Indy 500, although he crashed out early. Since then, he's had some great races, but hasn't been able to consistently stay in the hunt for the lead. At 35 years old, he needs to get it done soon, and maybe this year will be the one. He has a new engineer, and Kelley has a new part owner, and he is the sole driver for the team. He will get all the resources.

The second is Greg Ray and Access Motorsports. I think if ever there was a "Rocky" style movie made about the IRL, it would feature Ray as Rocky. Here's a guy who seemingly came out of nowhere, with far less on his racing resume than most, but yet had some stunning success, winning the series title in 99 and qualified second at the Indy 500 in 98. Since then though he hasn't been able to come close to repeating, but he's moved up to team owner/driver now, and at 37 years old, he needs some luck to recapture his glory days quickly. His G-Force looked incredible at Phoenix, so there's hope!

With all the big dogs in the IRL now, the chances of either of these teams being front runners is slim, but you've got to root for the little guys. They make it fun!

[Tim Northcutt]

I'd add those two onto my list as well...

Greg Ray moreso than Kelly Racing, just because it has been such a struggle on the $$$ end for them...

But their personnel are also quite strong....

Scott Sharp just seems like a great guy, and Mr. Kelly is also a class act....I enjoy watching Scott race, and am always hoping he does well...

[Tim Northcutt]

Still Bitten by the Bug!!!!

Robbie Buhl was in 3rd after his last stop and was fast and competitive, but apparently lost a gear....ultimately finished 10th...

That team just can't buy a break (unless it is a mechanical one, and I don't mean a good one....)

It's a shame they were quick all day....and really hooked up in that final segments of the race....

[GP Racer]

Buhl seemed pretty invisible for most of the race, but your right, in the end, they were moving! Tough break for them. AGAIN!

Sharp did much better than I thought he would though. His car obviously lacked the outright speed of the top guys, but through some skillful driving and drafting, he managed to take ninth. Good stuff.

It should be quite a competitive season, and I think that Buhl, Sharp, and even Ray, who looked better than he has in awhile, will be able to upset some of the favorites once in awhile.