Dreyer and Reinbold Racing announced that Brazilian driver Ana Beatriz will join the team's IZOD IndyCar Series effort at the season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil on March 14.
“We are excited about going to Brazil for the first time with the IZOD IndyCar Series as it makes its travels down to South America. Putting Ana Beatriz in our car at Brazil adds another dimension to our program,” commented Dreyer & Reinbold Racing co-owner Dennis Reinbold. "We are happy to have her on board for the Brazil race. We will be testing her at Sebring this weekend and we are excited to get her acclimated to the car. She was a very talented Indy Lights driver and we are converting her over to IndyCar, and we are excited to be the team she makes her IZOD IndyCar Series debut with."
The Sao Paulo native will step up to the IZOD IndyCar Series after competing in the Firestone Indy Lights category for the last two seasons. She finished third in Indy Lights points in 2008 for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, and became the first female driver to win in Indy Lights when she won at Nashville in July. She won again at Iowa this past June. Prior to Indy Lights, she finished fifth in the 2006 South American Formula 3 series with five podium finishes and one pole.
“It's great to be with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for the Brazil IZOD IndyCar race," Beatriz declared. "I was very happy when my manager, Andre Ribeiro, came back from Indianapolis and had set everything up with DRR. Hopefully, we can get the rest together for the whole season.
"I'm really, really excited and happy to be here. I think the team is very professional and I have great teammates with Mike Conway and Justin Wilson. I hope that I can learn a lot from these British drivers. This is very special for me doing my debut in the IZOD IndyCar race at my home event. It's also very special to be the first female Brazilian racecar driver to race there, and it will be a great experience,” she added.
Beatriz will get behind the wheel of an Indy car for the first time tomorrow at Sebring.