Mecum Auctions, the world’s largest collector-car auction company, announced today that it will return with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as a Foundation Partner for the No. 24 and No. 66 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet cars driven by young Sage Karam and veteran J.R. Hildebrand in the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 scheduled for Sunday, May 27, at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Mecum Auctions has partnered with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing dating back to 2012 when driver Oriol Servia drove the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car to fourth in the 2012 Indy 500. Karam won the “Hard Charger” award in 2014 driving from 31st to ninth in the Mecum Auction car. Last year, Karam, the 23-year-old Nazareth, Pennsylvania, driver, piloted the Mecum Auctions/DRR Chevy into the top 10 in the 101st Indy 500 before a mechanical issue forced him from the race.
“Mecum’s annual 2,000-vehicle collector-car auction in Indianapolis each May is always a huge event, and our auction ties well into the biggest show in racing, the Indianapolis 500,” said Dana Mecum, President and Founder of Mecum Auctions. “Between our tremendous Indianapolis auction and the Indy 500 association with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, this month of May is annually one of our most exciting celebrations. I can’t wait to put a Mecum ‘SOLD’ sticker on the bottle of milk in Victory Lane with DRR this year.”
The Dreyer & Reinbold family has established a legacy in the Indy 500 dating back to the 1920s with legendary car builder Floyd “Pop” Dreyer. Dennis Reinbold, Dreyer’s grandson, has been a car owner in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” since 1999 and has successfully qualified 37 entries in the race. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, a past winner in the Verizon IndyCar Series, has recorded four top-10 finishes in the Indy 500 including fourth in 2012, seventh in 2010, eighth in 2008 and ninth in 2014.
“We have had an outstanding association with Dana Mecum and his Mecum Auctions for many years, and we are thrilled to have them back at the Indy 500 in 2018,” said Reinbold, owner of the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing organization. “Mecum Auctions’ big show annually at the Indiana State Fairgrounds is a spectacular presentation and fits in well with the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ just a week later. Thanks again to Dana and his entire crew for their support over the years. I’d love to put Mecum Auctions in the winner’s circle on May 27 with Sage or J.R.”
Karam makes his fifth Indy 500 appearance, fourth with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, in 2018 in the No. 24 DRR car. Hildebrand, driving his first Indy 500 with DRR, enters his eighth Indy 500 after finishing second in 2011 and earning “Rookie of the Year” that year. J.R. also finished in the top-10 in the Indy 500 in 2014 and 2015.
“I watch Mecum Auctions on NBCSN regularly,” said Karam. “I really enjoyed going to the Indy show last year, and it was a blast. I’m a car guy like most of the people in the Indy 500 garages. I can tell you that the Mecum sponsorship gets me very excited because of my interest in their cars. To work with a partner which has some very historic and amazing machinery is very cool for me. I’m so happy to have Mecum Auctions back with DRR this year at Indy.”
The month of May is an annual celebration for Mecum Auctions, as the company commemorates more than 30 years of shows with the 2,000-car offering at Dana Mecum’s Original Spring Classic Auction May 15-20th in Indianapolis. Headlining the auction are several prestigious collections and a vast assortment of American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, Hot Rods, Resto Mods, and more at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Combined with the partnership of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the Indianapolis 500, Mecum Auctions is always a prominent player in the Circle City’s signature month.
About Mecum Auctions
Nobody sells more than Mecum. Nobody. The Mecum Auction Company is the world leader of collector car, vintage and antique motorcycle, and Road Art sales, hosting auctions throughout the United States. The company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars for more than 30 years, now offering more than 20,000 lots per year and averaging more than one auction each month. Established by President Dana Mecum in 1988, Mecum Auctions remains a family-run company headquartered in Walworth, Wisconsin. For further information, visit Mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050. Follow along with Mecum’s social media news and join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.
About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing was founded in 1999 by Indianapolis car dealer Dennis Reinbold. The legacy of the Dreyer and Reinbold family dates back to the 1920s with Reinbold’s grandfather, the legendary Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, a former factory motorcycle racer. Dreyer served as a crewman and mechanic on the famed Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoaff and Babe Stapp in the 1927 Indy 500. Dreyer went on to build Indy 500 cars in the 1930s which many started on the front row. In addition, Dreyer constructed championship-winning sprint cars and midgets as well as quarter midgets called Dreyerettes. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing captured its first win in 2000 with driver Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., and has fielded a variety of drivers including Buhl, Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Ryan Briscoe, Al Unser Jr., Townsend Bell and Sage Karam. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified all 37 drivers for the Indy 500 in its history. DRR also captured the 2016 Red Bull GRC Lites championship. The DRR team recorded five main event victories, 23 heat race wins and eight fast qualifying honors in 2016.
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Auction Schedule
Dana Mecum’s 31st Original Spring Classic
May 15-20, 2018
Indiana State Fairgrounds
1202 E 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205
Admission: $20 in advance online, and $30 at the door and online after May 14—per person, per day; children 12 and younger receive complimentary admission
Preview: Gates daily open at 7:30 a.m.
Auction: Vehicles begin at 10 a.m. daily; Road Art begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
TV Schedule: (NBC Sports Network) Thursday, May 18 from 12:30-4 p.m. (live) and 4:30-6 p.m. (live); Friday, May 19 from noon-3 p.m. (live); Saturday, May 20 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. (live) and 8 p.m.-midnight; Sunday, May 21 from 6:30 p.m.-midnight; Wednesday, May 24 from midnight-3 a.m.
(All times Eastern)