JR Hildebrand will return to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for this year’s Indianapolis 500.

Hildebrand has been out of a seat this year after being replaced in the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing entry by Spencer Pigot.

His drive in the #66 DRR Chevrolet takes the Californian back to the team with which he made his Verizon IndyCar Series debut in 2010 in a two-race campaign.

“I’m just really excited to be back,” said Hildebrand.

“My first call up to the big leagues was from Dennis, and we’ve been in the same Chevy camp the last several years out at Indy.

“When I started working on getting this year figured out, it was an obvious phone call to make from my side.

“I’m excited that we were able to get it all put together.”

Hildebrand has seven Indianapolis 500 starts to his name, coming within a corner of winning on debut in 2011 when he crashed his Panther Racing car and opening the door for Dan Wheldon to take victory.

He finished 15th in last year’s IndyCar Series, missing the Barber Motorsports Park race through injury, and won the Indy Lights series back in 2009.

DRR will field two cars for the 200-lapper at The Brickyard, with Sage Karam already named in Car #24.

Hildebrand’s announcement brings the Indianapolis 500 field to 34 cars, one more than the capacity grid of 33, meaning that bumping will return this year.

IndyCar is back in action this weekend at Long Beach.