Dramatic Carb Day on Friday with all eyes moving to Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (MAY 23, 2025) – The Indianapolis 500 is rich with tradition, which includes the Miller Lite Carb Day. As the final opportunity to finalize car setup ahead of the Indianapolis 500, Friday’s two-hour practice session is always filled with drama and nervous anticipation.

But no one on the Dryer & Reinbold/Cusick Motorsports team could have foreseen the roller coaster of emotions the day would bring – from topping the speed charts to an on-board fire that saw team members immediately mobilize to prepare for Sunday’s 200-lap challenge.

2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay placed the No. 23 DRR/Cusick Wedbush Securities Chevrolet P1 early in the session. But after 33 laps, Hunter-Reay felt cold liquid and saw smoke in the cockpit. In a heads up move, he brought the car to the end of pit lane, near fire personnel and his team – but not in the team pit box, where only the refueler would be wearing a fire suit.

“The liquid I felt could have been fire-retardant after I hit the fire bottle (the on-board fire suppression system), but it just started smoking more and more,” said Hunter Reay. “It really caught my attention when I was in 4th gear and the cockpit started filling up with smoke. I just kept going, trying to keep the air speed up, and to get back to pit lane where there would be more help. I stopped short of the pit boxes and then I looked like Ace Ventura jumping out. We’re still analyzing how much damage has been done.”

Meanwhile, the No. 24 DRR Cusick INVST Chevrolet driven by Jack Harvey continued to work on setup and traffic management through 49 (relatively) drama free laps.

“We pretty much did everything we were hoping to,” said Harvey. “We were able to re-baseline car after all the work the team did this week, and I think it shows that we’re in a good window. What happened to Ryan is super unfortunate, but I know the team has the back-up car ready to go. I told the guys, whatever you need, just send guys from the 24 car to go and help.

“The wind was quite strong today; I definitely had a couple of moments coming out of Turn One. But all the way around, I think we’re in a good window –even with the wind, we can be good on different ends of the track and still be quite happy. We’re as confident as we can be going into the race, whilst having a ton of respect for IMS. That’s what I’m really feeling right now.”

At the checkered flag, Hunter-Reay had set the 11th best speed of the session at 223.525, with Harvey just behind in 12th at 233.515 mph.

Media Contact
Mia Roe
mia.roe@cusickmotorsports.com
1-586-567-0878

About Cusick Motorsports
A lifelong racing enthusiast and longtime healthcare industry entrepreneur, Don Cusick has built a team of corporate and motorsports experts, working hand in hand with partners to identify key business needs and opportunities. The Indianapolis 500 race day experience is unmatched, generating excitement, camaraderie, and the unparalleled B2B opportunities that Cusick Motorsports is dedicated to developing and delivering.

Cusick Motorsports has partnered with Dreyer & Reinbold at the Indianapolis 500 for the past three years, and in 2025 supports the No. 23 DRR Cusick Wedbush Securities Chevrolet driven by 2012 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter Reay, and the No. 24 DRR Cusick INVST Chevrolet driven by Jack Harvey.

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 Indian factory motorcycle racer. Dreyer served as a crewman and mechanic on the famed Duesenberg team. Dreyer went on to build Indy 500 cars in the 1930s, many of which started on the front row. In addition, Dreyer constructed championship-winning sprint cars and midgets. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing captured its first win in 2000 with driver Robbie Buhl at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, FL, and has fielded a variety of drivers including Al Unser Jr., Buddy Rice, Buddy Lazier, Sarah Fisher, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and J.R. Hildebrand. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has successfully qualified 48 drivers for the Indy 500 in its history. DRR competed in Rallycross for the first time in 2015 and captured the 2016 Lites rallycross championship. The team competed in the Nitro RX series with a 1-2-3 Championship win in the 2022-23 Nitro RX Group E class with Robin Larrson, Andreas Bakkerud, and Fraser McConnell.