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 , 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 , 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 Firestone Indy Lights Series, alongside veteran broadcaster Bob Jenkins. He would join Jenkins and Jon Beekhuis in the Versus broadcast booth for the 2009 IndyCar Series. 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

YearTeam1234567891011121314RankPoints
1990Leading Edge MotorsportPHX 22LBH 13MIL 2DET 18POR 9CLE 6MEA 4TOR 11DEN 2VAN 6MDO 2ROA 2NAZ 2LS 164th118
1991Leading Edge MotorsportLBH 2PHX 8MIL 9DET 4POR 6CLE 5MEA 3TOR 2DEN 11MDO 14NAZ 1LS 176th110
1992Leading Edge MotorsportPHX 3LBH 3DET 2POR 2MIL 3NHA 3TOR 2CLE 3VAN 2MDO 3NAZ 1LS 41st186
1995Dorricott RacingMIA 4PHX 2LBH 2NAZ 3MIL 4DET 1POR 12TOR 2CLE 22NHA 3VAN 3LS 212nd140
1996FRE RacingMIALBHNAZMISMILDETPORCLETOR 11TROVANLS26th2

CART

YearTeamChassisEngine12345678910111213141516RankPointsRef
1993Dale Coyne RacingLola T92/00Chevrolet 265A V8tSRF 23PHX 19LBH 6MIL 17DET 28PORCLE 24TORMICNHAROA 19VANMDO 14NAZ 17LS 1621st6
Buick 3300 V6tINDY DNQ
1994Dale Coyne RacingLola T93/00Ford XB V8tSRF 20PHXLBH 16INDYMILDETPORCLETORMICMDONHAVANROANAZLS41st0

IRL IndyCar Series

YearTeamChassisNo.Engine12345678910111213141516RankPointsRef
1996Beck MotorsportsReynard 94i1 Lola T94254Ford XB V8tWDW 3INDY 93rd240
Zunne Group RacingLola T94PHX 13
1996-1997Beck MotorsportsLola T94/00Ford XB V8tNHM 22LVS 8WDW13th170
Team MenardG-Force GF013Oldsmobile Aurora V8PHX 18INDY 8TXS 16PPICLTNH2 1LV2 3
1998G-Force GF01BWDW 2017th174
Dallara IR8PHX 12INDY 31TXS 6NHM 10DOVCLTPPI 2ATL 11TX2 7LVS 7
1999Sinden RacingDallara IR944Infiniti VRH35ADE V8WDW 20PHX 3CLT CINDY Wth22nd114
A. J. Foyt Enterprises84Oldsmobile Aurora V8INDY 6TXSPPIATLDOVPP2
Tri-Star Motorsports22LVS 3TX2 24
2000Dreyer & Reinbold RacingG-Force GF0524WDW 1PHX 7LVS 5INDY 268th190
Infiniti VRH35ADE V8TXS 18PPI 23ATL 6KTY 13TX2 18
2001G-Force GF05BPHX 11HMS 24ATL 20INDY 15TXS 21PPI 3RIR 9KAN 21NSH 13KTY 9STL 5CHI 22TX2 312th237
2002G-Force GF05CHMS 12PHX 13FON DNSNZRINDY 16TXS 20PPI 23RIR 13KAN 21NSH 21MIS 24KTY 10STL 6CHI 20TX2 1817th177
2003Dallara IR-03Chevrolet Indy V8HMS 19PHX 12MOT 10INDY 23TXS 22PPI 15RIR 15KAN 12NSH 21MIS 13STL 12KTY 7NZR 9CHI 10FON 12TX2 1114th261
2004Dallara IR-04HMS 10PHX 18MOT 21INDYTXSRIRKANNSHMILMISKTYPPINZRCHIFONTX224th44
YearsTeamsRacesPolesWinsPodiums (Non-win)Top 10s (Non-podium)Indianapolis 500 WinsChampionships
96780271900

Indianapolis 500

YearChassisEngineStartFinishTeam
1993Lola T92/00Buick 3300 V6tPractice CrashDale Coyne Racing
1996Lola T94/00Ford-Cosworth XB V8t239Beck Motorsports
1997G-Force GF01Oldsmobile Aurora V848Team Menard
1998Dallara IR8Oldsmobile Aurora V8531Team Menard
1999Dallara IR9Oldsmobile Aurora V8326A. J. Foyt Enterprises
2000G-Force GF05Oldsmobile Aurora V8926Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2001G-Force GF05BInfiniti VRH35ADE V8915Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2002G-Force GF05CInfiniti VRH35ADE V8216Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2003Dallara IR-03Chevrolet Indy V82223Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

External links

  • career summary at DriverDB.com
Sporting positions
Preceded byBruce FeldmanBarber Saab Pro Series Champion 1989Succeeded byRob Wilson
Preceded byÉric BachelartIndy Lights Champion 1992Succeeded byBryan Herta