CARMEL, Ind. – Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced Thursday the signing of teenage racing star Cole Keatts to campaign the No. 53 DRR ARX2 racing machine in the ARX2 class for the Americas Rallycross Championship.
Keatts, 17, is one of the most versatile drivers to have driven for the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Rallycross operation with a wide variety of racing experience including rallycross in Europe (RX2) and North America (ARX2), off-road short track (won a national championship), karting as well as competing in stock cars on the road course, pavement and dirt ovals (K&N East and West Series).
Last year, Keatts scored a third, fifth and sixth in ARX2 main events as well as two runner-up finishes in semi-finals.
“I’m very anxious to work with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in 2019,” said Keatts, a high school senior who’ll attend the University of Arizona in the fall. “DRR has been a past champion in rallycross and their technical director, Buddy Rice, is great to work with on the ARX2 Rallycross race car. The DRR crew has a tremendous amount of racing experience which is important for a young racer like myself who continues to learn. I have raced in many forms of motorsports and the ARX Rallycross race car is so much fun to drive. I think we’ll have a winning combination in 2019.
“We will be testing the DRR cars later this month and I can’t wait to get back on the track. I have been training hard in recent weeks to get ready for the 2019 season.”
Team owner Dennis Reinbold, whose team captured a rallycross series championship in 2016 as well as many main events, has followed Keatts’ career for several years and sees promise in the 17-year-old driver for the 2019 ARX Rallycross series.
“Cole has shown his talent in a variety of different racing disciples through his career and was impressive last year in the inaugural ARX2 season,” said DRR team owner Dennis Reinbold. “I believe the blend of our veteran crew, with Buddy, and an aggressive young racer like Cole will make our DRR ARX2 effort a winning one. We have prepared some very good equipment for Cole, and we know he has the ability to take our team to the top of the podium.”
The ARX2 Rallycross campaign is set to open with round one on June 8-9 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course followed by a doubleheader at Gateway International Raceway on July 13-14, a doubleheader at Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres on Aug. 3-4 and single events at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on Sept. 28 with the championship rounds at Mid-Ohio on Oct. 5-6.