Milka Duno and CITGO Return to Dreyer & Reinbold
Milka Duno |
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced today that Milka Duno will be returning to the team's IndyCar Series effort for 2009. The Venezuelan driver will be competing in a limited schedule starting at Kansas City, Kansas this weekend.
"We are very excited to have Milka back with our team. We had significant momentum last year and we want to pick up where we left off and continue to get results," commented Dennis Reinbold, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing co-owner. "Also, we are very proud that CITGO is returning as a primary sponsor on the No. 23 car," continued Reinbold.
Not only will Duno be partnering with driver Mike Conway, who will be piloting the No. 24 Dad's Root Beer machine, but she will also bring her oval experience to the table that will aid in Conway's learning curve as he visits Kansas for the first time.
"I'm really happy to be racing and to be back at Kansas. This track is a very special place for me, because I made my debut in the IndyCar Series here. The fans are very supportive. I'm also very happy to be coming back to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing as they did a great job last year. Finally, I must thank CITGO for their fantastic support. I really appreciate the opportunity to be back and will work hard to get some great results," stated Milka Duno.
The native of Caracas, Venezuela made her way up the racing ladder competing in various series from 1999 to 2006. In only her second year of racing, Duno was named "Venezuelan Auto Racing Driver of the Year" and won her first Series championship, the Panoz GT Series Championship. In 2001, Duno won four races and was second in the LMP 675 Class of the American Le Mans Series. She made history in 2004 when she became the first woman to win a major international sports car race in North America by capturing the overall win at the Grand Prix of Miami. Her achievements in the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car series includes three overall wins, seven podium finishes, 11 top-five and 26 top-ten finishes. This result includes the second position in the Daytona 24 hour. It was the first and only time that a woman finished on the podium in this race.
In 2007 Duno made the jump to the IndyCar Series with Samax Motorsports in a limited schedule. She became the third female driver to start an IndyCar Series race when she debuted at Kansas. The Venezuelan finished second in the Bombardier Learjet Rookie of the Year standings and earned a career-best 11th in Texas, improving eight positions. Duno competed with DRR in 2008 recording a season-best finish of 14th at Chicagoland, leading five laps, her first in the IndyCar Series. Off the track, Milka spends her time as a spokesperson in charity activities and encouraging youth to complete their education through her program the "Milka Way".
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will be on track this weekend for the third round of the IndyCar Series in Kansas City, Kansas with Mike Conway piloting the No. 24 Dad's Root Beer entry, and Milka Duno behind the No. 23 CITGO machine. The Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 will be live on the VERSUS network.