Robbie Buhl (born September 2, 1963) is an American former race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League. He was a color commentator for the IndyCar races on Versus. In 2016, Robbie, along with his brother Tom Buhl, started Buhl Sport Detroit, a motorsports marketing company, professional race team, and teen driving program based in Detroit, Michigan.
Buhl's current race team, Racing4Detroit, is the first professional race team based in Detroit, and most recently ran in the 2019 Americas Rallycross Championship. He also created and acts as lead instructor of Teen Street Skills, an advanced teen driver training program also based and operating in Detroit.
Buhl won the 1992 Indy Lights championship and caught the eye of John Menard's Team Menard in 1996, running as team mate to Tony Stewart for two seasons succeeding the late Scott Brayton. He scored his first win in what was once the closest finish in series history when he beat ex-MasterCard Lola F1 driver Vincenzo Sospiri by 0.064 seconds at the New Hampshire International Speedway.
Personal life Buhl was born in Detroit but his home is Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. He is a graduate of Cranbrook School (now Cranbrook Kingswood School) in Bloomfield Hills. His family's wealth stems from nineteenth/early twentieth century manufacturing and real estate development and the industrialization of Detroit in the period 1850-1950. Family holdings included Buhl Stamping, Buhl Aircraft Company, development of vast real estate holdings (including the landmark Buhl Building in downtown Detroit), Parke-Davis (now part of drug giant Pfizer), Buhl Steel (now part of U.S. Steel), Copper and Brass Sales, Inc, (by marriage) and many other holdings. Relatives include former Detroit mayors Christian H. Buhl and Frederick Buhl. His parents reside in Grosse Pointe Farms, Harbor Springs, Michigan, and Hobe Sound, Florida.
On Easter Sunday 1999, Buhl married former racer Scott Brayton's widow Becky.
Buhl is a Founder and key Supporter of "Racing for Kids", a charitable foundation established to assist chronically ill children. He makes a point of visiting sick children at hospitals on each stop of the circuit, bringing a bit of cheer to their lives in the process.
In 2007, Buhl began a broadcasting career, joining the broadcast booth for the Indy Pro Series, now the Indy NXT by Firestone Series, alongside veteran broadcaster Bob Jenkins. He would join Jenkins and Jon Beekhuis in the Versus broadcast booth for the 2009 IndyCar Series.Q&A with Robbie Buhl It was announced on the Izod Indycar Series website he was let go by Versus for the network's IndyCar coverage and will be replaced by Wally Dallenbach Jr., who is also a color commentator for TNT's NASCAR coverage.
Career results
American Open Wheel Racing results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) American Racing Series / Indy Lights Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points 1990 Leading Edge MotorsportPHXLBHMILDETPORCLEMEATORDENVANMDOROANAZLS4th118 1991 Leading Edge MotorsportLBHPHXMILDETPORCLEMEATORDENMDONAZLS6th110 1992 Leading Edge MotorsportPHXLBHDETPORMILNHATORCLEVANMDONAZLS1st186 1995 Dorricott RacingMIAPHXLBHNAZMILDETPORTORCLENHAVANLS2nd140 1996 FRE RacingMIALBHNAZMISMILDETPORCLETORTROVANLS26th2 CART Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points Ref 1993 Dale Coyne Racing Lola T92/00 Chevrolet 265A V8tSRFPHXLBHMILDETPORCLETORMICNHAROAVANMDONAZLS21st6 Buick 3300 V6tINDY 1994 Dale Coyne Racing Lola T93/00 Ford XB V8tSRFPHXLBHINDYMILDETPORCLETORMICMDONHAVANROANAZLS41st0
IRL IndyCar Series Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points Ref 1996 Beck Motorsports Reynard 94i Lola T94 54 Ford XB V8tWDWINDY 3rd 240 Zunne Group Racing Lola T94PHX 1996-1997 Beck Motorsports Lola T94/00 Ford XB V8tNHMLVSWDW 13th 170 Team Menard G-Force GF01 3 Oldsmobile Aurora V8PHXINDYTXSPPICLTNH2LV2 1998 G-Force GF01BWDW 17th 174 Dallara IR8PHXINDYTXSNHMDOVCLTPPIATLTX2LVS 1999 Sinden Racing Dallara IR9 44 Infiniti VRH35ADE V8WDWPHXCLTINDY 22nd 114 A. J. Foyt Enterprises 84 Oldsmobile Aurora V8INDYTXSPPIATLDOVPP2 Tri-Star Motorsports 22LVSTX2 2000 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing G-Force GF05 24WDWPHXLVSINDY26 8th 190 Infiniti VRH35ADE V8TXSPPIATLKTYTX2 2001 G-Force GF05BPHXHMSATLINDYTXSPPIRIRKANNSHKTYSTLCHITX2 12th 237 2002 G-Force GF05CHMSPHXFONNZRINDYTXSPPIRIRKANNSHMISKTYSTLCHITX2 17th 177 2003 Dallara IR-03 Chevrolet Indy V8HMSPHXMOTINDYTXSPPIRIRKANNSHMISSTLKTYNZRCHIFONTX2 14th 261 2004 Dallara IR-04HMSPHXMOTINDYTXSRIRKANNSHMILMISKTYPPINZRCHIFONTX2 24th 44
Years Teams Races Poles Wins Podiums(Non-win) Top 10s(Non-podium) Indianapolis 500Wins Championships96780271900
Indianapolis 500 Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 1993 Lola T92/00 Buick 3300 V6tPractice Crash Dale Coyne Racing 1996 Lola T94/00 Ford-Cosworth XB V8t 23 9 Beck Motorsports 1997 G-Force GF01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 4 8 Team Menard 1998 Dallara IR8 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 5 31 Team Menard 1999 Dallara IR9 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 32 6 A. J. Foyt Enterprises 2000 G-Force GF05 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 9 26 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 2001 G-Force GF05B Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 9 15 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 2002 G-Force GF05C Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 2 16 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 2003 Dallara IR-03 Chevrolet Indy V8 22 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
References
External links