Ed Carpenter (racing Driver)
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Everette Edward Carpenter, Jr. (born March 3, 1981) is an American auto racing driver, currently competing in the
IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...
for his team, Ed Carpenter Racing. He is the stepson of Indy Racing League founder
Tony George Anton Hulman "Tony" George (born December 30, 1959) is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. ...
. He holds the joint-record for most Indy 500 starts without a win along with
George Snider George Lee Snider III (born December 8, 1940, in Bakersfield, California) is a retired American race car driver. A longtime driver in the United States Automobile Club Silver Crown series, Snider is also a 22-time starter of the Indianapolis 5 ...
.


Career history

Carpenter was born in
Paris, Illinois Paris is a city in Edgar County, Illinois, south of Chicago and west of Indianapolis. The population was 8,291 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Edgar County, Illinois, Edgar County. History Paris was established i ...
, and grew up in the town of
Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...
until the age of 8. He then moved to
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
. He is a graduate of
Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study within six colleges in the arts, business, communic ...
.


Early career

Carpenter has had a successful career in midget racing dating back to 1989. Carpenter would win national quarter-midget events in
Xenia Xenia may refer to: People * Xenia (name), a feminine given name; includes a list of people with this name Places United States ''listed alphabetically by state'' * Xenia, Illinois, a village in Clay County ** Xenia Township, Clay County, Il ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and Hagerstown,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
in 1996.


United States Automobile Club


USAC Regional Series

Carpenter drove in the USAC Regional Series in
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
in the midget division. Carpenter drove the No. 3 TG Racing car at 16th Street Speedway. At the track event on June 27, 1998 Carpenter qualified with the 11th fastest time. Carpenter won the third heat race and finished the feature in 3rd place.


USAC National Midget Car Series

Carpenter drove in the USAC National Midget Series in
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
for TG Racing in the No. 3 Ed Pink Beast in fifteen races. Carpenter won a race at Louisville Motor Speedway and finished 13th in points. Carpenter returned in
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
to drive the No. 3 TG Motorsports car. Carpenter achieved four top five finishes with a best finish of 2nd at the Belleville Nationals at the Belleville High Banks and finished 9th in the final point standings. In
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, Carpenter drove the No. 2 Steele car at
South Boston Speedway South Boston Speedway, or "SoBo", is a short track located just outside South Boston, Virginia. SoBo is located approximately east of another area familiar to most NASCAR fans, Martinsville. It is owned by Mattco, Inc., the Mattioli family tr ...
, where he started 11th and finished 8th. In
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
Carpenter returned to the series to drive for Klatt Enterprises. Carpenter competed in three races and finished 44th in points.


USAC Silver Crown Series

Carpenter competed in the United States Auto Club#USAC Silver Crown Series in
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. Carpenter originally competed for former Indy car driver
George Snider George Lee Snider III (born December 8, 1940, in Bakersfield, California) is a retired American race car driver. A longtime driver in the United States Automobile Club Silver Crown series, Snider is also a 22-time starter of the Indianapolis 5 ...
in car No. 111 at the season-opening Copper World Classic at
Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix Raceway (formerly known as ISM Raceway from 2018–2020, Phoenix International Raceway from 1964–1973 and 1976–2017, and FasTrack International Speedway from 1973–1976) is a dogleg oval track in Avondale, Arizona. The track has ...
; Carpenter finished in 9th place to claim the Rookie of the Race award. Carpenter started driving for George Snider's relative Debbie Snider in the No. 7
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
-powered Beast, with George Snider and Jimmy Sills acting as mentors to him and giving him advice about tracks. Carpenter had a best finish of 6th in the Southern Illinoisan 100 at the
DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one-mile (1.6-km) clay oval motor racetrack in Du Quoin, Illinois, about southeast of St Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independe ...
. Carpenter started on the pole position in the A. J. Foyt's True Value Hulman Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Speedway, the series' most prestigious race. Carpenter led the first 80 laps before crashing and finishing in 20th place. Carpenter also won the Rookie of the Race award at Nazareth Speedway with a 7th-place finish. Carpenter finished 12th in the final point standings. In
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
Carpenter returned to drive for George Snider in the No. 11 – numbered 111 at
Gateway International Raceway Gateway Motorsports Park (currently known as World Wide Technology Raceway for sponsorship reasons) is a motor racing facility in Madison, Illinois, just east of St. Louis, close to the Gateway Arch. It features a oval that hosts the NASCAR Cu ...
 – car. Carpenter's best finish was sixth at the Coca-Cola 100 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and he finished ninth in the final point standings. In
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
Carpenter drove the No. 44 Sinden Racing car. At the season-opening Little Trees 100 at Phoenix, Carpenter started 2nd and finished 21st after suffering an engine failure after 85 laps. Carpenter also drove for Hoffman Auto Racing in the No. 69 Dynamics car at the Golden Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Speedway – starting 17th and finishing 24th due to a crash after 59 laps – and the No. 67 Zarounian car at the Ted Horn 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack; Carpenter started from pole position and finished 25th due to an accident after 58 laps. Carpenter's best finish of the season was at the Dominic's of New York 100 at
Richmond International Raceway Richmond Raceway (RR) is a , ''D''-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It currently hosts one NASCAR Cup Series race weekend and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It formerly h ...
where he started 7th and finished 2nd, leading for 12 laps. Carpenter finished the season ranked 22nd in the final point standings. For
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
Carpenter again drove for Hoffman Auto Racing in the No. 69 Dynamics car. Carpenter's best finish of 3rd place came at the Dominic's of New York 100 at Richmond after starting 10th. Carpenter finished 35th in the final point standings.


USAC Sprint Car Series

In
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
Carpenter began competing in the USAC Sprint Car Series in the No. 1111 TG Racing car. At the season-ending USAC Sprint Legends Classic at Salem Speedway, Carpenter had the 3rd fastest qualifying time, finished 6th in the first heat and won the "Semi" race. In the feature race Carpenter took the lead with 10 laps to go and won. Carpenter finished 12th in the final point standings. In
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
Carpenter drove for Sinden Racing, where he took one win during the season, and finished 19th in the final point standings.


North American Auto Racing Series

In
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
Carpenter competed in the North American Auto Racing Series-sanctioned NAMARS National Midget Championship series in the No. 3C TG Racing car. Carpenter attempted to qualify for the Chili Bowl at Tulsa Expo Center, considered to be the "biggest Midget race of the year". Carpenter failed to qualify for the qualifier and missed the feature race as a result.


IndyCar


Indy Lights Series

Carpenter joined the then-new
Indy Racing League IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two Auto racing, racing series: the premier IndyCar Serie ...
sanctioned Infiniti Pro Series in
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, driving the No. 2 Sinden Racing car. At the season-opening Kansas 100 at
Kansas Speedway Kansas Speedway (formerly known as Kansas International Speedway in initial planning and construction stages) is a tri-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. The track, since its inaugural season of ...
, Carpenter started and finished 5th. Carpenter's best finish of 2nd came in the Kentucky 100 at
Kentucky Speedway Kentucky Speedway is an inactive tri-oval intermediate speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) and ...
, and he also achieved a pair of 3rd-place finishes in the Michigan 100 at
Michigan International Speedway Michigan International Speedway (formerly named as the Michigan Speedway from 1997 to 2000) is a D-shaped oval superspeedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. It has hosted various major auto racing series throughout its existence, including NASCAR, Cham ...
and the Gateway 100 at Gateway International Speedway. Carpenter finished out the season ranked 3rd, with 226 points. In
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
Carpenter moved to A. J. Foyt Enterprises to drive the No. 14 car. Carpenter won his only Indy Lights race at the series' most prestigious race, the Futaba Freedom 100 at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
. Carpenter qualified on the pole position at the Aventis Racing for Kids 100 at Kansas Speedway and the Chicagoland 100 at
Chicagoland Speedway Chicagoland Speedway is an inactive tri-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Joliet, Illinois. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is currently own ...
, finishing 2nd in each race. Carpenter again finished the season ranked 3rd, with 377 points. In
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
Carpenter returned to the series for Vision Racing to drive the No. 9 car on a one-off basis; he competed at the Liberty Challenge on the road course at Indianapolis. Carpenter qualified 13th out of 14 cars and finished 11th, the last car on the lead lap; the result saw him finish 26th in the drivers' championship, with 19 points.


IndyCar Series

Carpenter's first experience in the IndyCar Series came in
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
at
Atlanta Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway (currently known as EchoPark Speedway for sponsorship reasons, formerly known as the Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Hampton, Georg ...
when he tested a car for Panther Racing.


=2003–2005

= In
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, Carpenter began competing in the IndyCar Series for
PDM Racing PDM Racing was a racing team in the IndyCar Series and USAC Silver Crown series owned by Paul Diatlovich. Almost always a low budget team and affectionately dubbed "Poor Dumb Mechanics" by Diatlovich, it was known to make the most out of mediocre ...
in the No. 18
Dallara Dallara Group S.r.l. is the largest multi-national Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Giampaolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' M ...
-
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
. Carpenter made his debut at the Delphi Indy 300 at
Chicagoland Speedway Chicagoland Speedway is an inactive tri-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Joliet, Illinois. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is currently own ...
; he started in 16th place and finished in 13th place. Carpenter then competed at the Toyota Indy 400 at
California Speedway Auto Club Speedway (known as California Speedway before and after the 2008–2023 corporate sponsorship by the Automobile Club of Southern California) was a , D-shaped oval superspeedway in unincorporated San Bernardino County, California, ne ...
, starting in 17th place and finishing in 13th place, two laps down. At the season-ending Chevy 500 at
Texas Motor Speedway Texas Motor Speedway (formerly known as Texas International Raceway from September to December 1996) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. It has hosted various major races since its inaugura ...
, Carpenter started in 22nd place and finished in 21st place due to alternator problems after completing 69 laps. Carpenter finished the season ranked in 26th place, with 43 points. In
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, Carpenter ran his first full-time season for
Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
Cheever Racing in the No. 52 Dallara-Chevrolet. At the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Carpenter started in 9th place and finished in 12th place. During the season, Carpenter struggled to match the results of teammate Alex Barron. Carpenter's best finish was 8th place at the Belterra Casino Indy 300 at
Kentucky Speedway Kentucky Speedway is an inactive tri-oval intermediate speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. It has hosted various major races throughout its existence, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) and ...
. Carpenter qualified for the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
, starting in 16th place and finishing in 31st place due to a crash after 62 laps. Carpenter finished the season in 16th place, with 245 points. For
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, Carpenter's stepfather
Tony George Anton Hulman "Tony" George (born December 30, 1959) is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. ...
started a new team called Vision Racing after purchasing the equipment from
Kelley Racing Kelley Racing is a former Indy Racing League team founded by Fort Wayne, Indiana-based car dealer Tom Kelley that fielded a Delphi (auto parts), Delphi sponsored car for Scott Sharp during its entire existence from 1998 in IRL, 1998 to 2004 in IRL ...
. Carpenter drove for the team in the No. 20 Dallara-
Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
. During the year, Carpenter and the team struggled; his best start was 16th place at the SunTrust Indy Challenge at
Richmond International Raceway Richmond Raceway (RR) is a , ''D''-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It currently hosts one NASCAR Cup Series race weekend and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It formerly h ...
. Carpenter's best finish was at the
Firestone Indy 200 The Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee has hosted American open-wheel car racing racing events dating back to 2001 Indy Racing League, 2001. The 2001 event marked the first American open-wheel event in the Nashville, Tennessee, Nashvill ...
at
Nashville Superspeedway Nashville Superspeedway is a tri-oval intermediate speedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. The track has held a variety of racing events since its opening in 2001, including NASCAR and the IndyCar Series. It is currently owned by Speedway Motorsport ...
with a 10th-place finish, one lap down. Carpenter qualified for the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
, starting in 26th place and finishing in 11th place, one lap down. Carpenter finished the season in 18th place, with 244 points.


=2006

= Carpenter returned with Vision Racing in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
in the No. 20 Dallara-
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
. On March 26, 2006, during the warmup practice session for the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead, Carpenter was involved in a crash with Paul Dana, who died soon after from his injuries. Carpenter was reported to be "awake and alert," airlifted to
Jackson Memorial Hospital Jackson Memorial Hospital, also referred to as Jackson or abbreviated MJMH, is a non-profit, tertiary care hospital, and the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami's School of Medicine. As of 2021, it is the largest hospital in t ...
and was released the next day suffering bruised lungs. Carpenter returned to the series for the third race of the season, the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi, starting in 19th place and finishing in 20th place due to a crash after 25 laps. At the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
, Carpenter and his teammates acquired sponsorship from Rock and Republic for the race. Carpenter started in 12th place and ran in the top 10 late in the race; he finished 11th, a lap down, after a late-race pit stop. At the following race, the Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix at
Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen International, nicknamed "The Glen", is an automobile race track in the Northeastern United States, northeastern United States, located in Dix, New York, just southwest of the village of Watkins Glen, New York, Watkins Glen, at the ...
, Carpenter started in 18th place and finished in 6th place after his team decided to put on rain tires for the wet conditions. At the Firestone Indy 400 at
Michigan International Speedway Michigan International Speedway (formerly named as the Michigan Speedway from 1997 to 2000) is a D-shaped oval superspeedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. It has hosted various major auto racing series throughout its existence, including NASCAR, Cham ...
, Carpenter started in 4th place and finished in 7th place. At the season-ending Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland, Carpenter started in 12th place and finished in 5th place. Carpenter finished the season ranked in 14th place, with 252 points.


=2007

= In
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, Carpenter again competed with Vision Racing to drive the No. 20 Dallara-Honda. Carpenter started off the season with a 6th-place finish at the season-opening XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 at Homestead. The team acquired sponsorship from Hitachi Power Tools for the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
onwards. At Indianapolis, Carpenter started in 14th place and finished in 17th place after being involved in a crash with Marco Andretti,
Dan Wheldon Daniel Clive Wheldon (22 June 1978 – 16 October 2011) was a British motor racing driver who won the 2005 IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship for Andretti Autosport, Andretti Green Racing (AGR). He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 Indianapol ...
and others which resulted in Andretti flipping down the back straightaway. Just after the crash, the race was stopped due to rain. Carpenter's best finish in the remaining races was at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway with a 6th-place finish after starting 5th. Carpenter finished the season ranked in 15th place, with 309 points.


=2008

= For
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, Carpenter returned with Vision Racing to drive the No. 20 Dallara-Honda. At the season-opening 2008 Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300, Gainsco Auto Insurance Indy 300 at Homestead, Carpenter qualified in 2nd place, but his time was nullified as his car – as well as the car of teammate A. J. Foyt IV – failed technical inspection. Despite starting at the rear, Carpenter worked his way through the order to finish in 6th place. Carpenter added another 6th-place finish at the 2008 Indy Japan 300, Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. At the 2008 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500, Carpenter qualified in 10th place and finished in 5th place, leading 3 laps. After eight races, Carpenter ranked eighth in points, however, Carpenter only achieved top-ten finishes in the 2008 Firestone Indy 200, Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville and the 2008 Meijer Indy 300, Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky. Carpenter finished out the year with a fiery crash in the 2008 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300, Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland while running in the top five. Carpenter finished the season ranked in 15th place, with 320 points.


=2009

= In 2009 IndyCar Series, 2009, Carpenter returned with Vision Racing in the No. 20 Dallara-Honda and started with poor performances in the first two races – both street circuits – at the 2009 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Carpenter then achieved back-to-back top 10 finishes on the Oval track racing, ovals at the 2009 RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300, RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 at
Kansas Speedway Kansas Speedway (formerly known as Kansas International Speedway in initial planning and construction stages) is a tri-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. The track, since its inaugural season of ...
with a 9th-place finish, and at the 2009 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500, Carpenter qualified in 17th place and finished in 8th place. The day after the 2009 ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225, ABC Supply Company A. J. Foyt 225 at the Milwaukee Mile – where Carpenter finished in 16th place, 6 laps down – Carpenter's wife Heather gave birth to their second child, Ryder. Carpenter got his best finish of the season at the 2009 Meijer Indy 300, Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky, leading 34 laps before finishing 0.0162 seconds behind Ryan Briscoe following a pitched side-by-side battle. Carpenter finished out the season ranked in 12th place, with 321 points.


=2010

= In 2010 IndyCar Series, 2010, Vision Racing lost its sponsors and as a result, shut down as a full-time team. Therefore, Carpenter drove for Panther Racing in conjunction with Vision Racing in the No. 20 Dallara-Honda at the 2010 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500. In the race, Carpenter started in 8th place and finished in 17th place due to a caution occurring during a round of pit stops, which put Carpenter a lap down. The two teams later fielded the car in the 2010 Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300, Peak Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland, the 2010 Kentucky Indy 300, Kentucky Indy 300 at Kentucky, and the season-ending 2010 Cafés do Brasil Indy 300, Cafés do Brasil Indy 300 at Homestead. At Chicagoland, Carpenter started in 11th place and quickly challenged for the lead, leading for 3 laps. Carpenter then had handling issues and retired with around 20 laps to go; he was scored in 20th place. At Kentucky, Carpenter qualified on pole and led a front-row sweep with teammate
Dan Wheldon Daniel Clive Wheldon (22 June 1978 – 16 October 2011) was a British motor racing driver who won the 2005 IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship for Andretti Autosport, Andretti Green Racing (AGR). He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 Indianapol ...
. Carpenter led for 11 laps and almost achieved his first victory when cars ahead of him had to make pit stops late in the race; he ultimately finished in 2nd place as Hélio Castroneves managed to conserve fuel to the end of the race without making another pit stop. At the season-ending race at Homestead, Carpenter started in 7th place and finished in 13th place, one lap down. Carpenter finished in 28th place in the drivers' championship with 90 points.


=2011

= For 2011 IndyCar Series, 2011, Carpenter moved to Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, Sarah Fisher Racing, driving the No. 67 Dallara-Honda. The team competed in a partial season consisting of all the oval races and select road course and street circuit races. Carpenter made his season début at the 2011 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500, where he qualified in 8th place and finished in 11th place after leading for 3 laps. In the 2011 Firestone Twin 275s, Firestone Twin 275s at
Texas Motor Speedway Texas Motor Speedway (formerly known as Texas International Raceway from September to December 1996) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. It has hosted various major races since its inaugura ...
, Carpenter started the opening race in 5th place and finished in 18th place. For the second race, Carpenter drew a 10th place starting position – via a random draw – and finished in 16th place. Following the two Texas races, Carpenter and the team began to struggle in qualifying and Carpenter had a best start of 14th place at the 2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250, Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa. Carpenter further struggled on the non-oval races, which resulted in his best finishes being a trio of 11th-place finishes at Indianapolis, Iowa and the 2011 MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225, MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. At the penultimate race of the season, the 2011 Kentucky Indy 300, Kentucky Indy 300 at Kentucky, Carpenter started in 4th place and led for 8 laps. In the late stages of the race, Carpenter battled with Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti, who was in a championship battle with Will Power. Carpenter beat Franchitti by 0.0098 seconds – the series' closest finish at the track – to record his first series victory. At the season-ending 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship, IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Carpenter started in 3rd place and was soon running in 2nd place to pole sitter Tony Kanaan after 11 laps, when a major accident occurred in turn 1.
Dan Wheldon Daniel Clive Wheldon (22 June 1978 – 16 October 2011) was a British motor racing driver who won the 2005 IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship for Andretti Autosport, Andretti Green Racing (AGR). He won the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 Indianapol ...
was fatally injured during the crash. The race was canceled afterward, and with the results expunged, Carpenter finished the season ranked in 26th place, with 175 points. In the separate sub-classification for the oval races, Carpenter ranked 6th with 141 points.


=2012

= In 2012, Carpenter started his team, Ed Carpenter Racing, driving the No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet. During the season, Carpenter struggled in qualifying and, in the first 14 races of the season, had a best start of 19th in the 2012 Firestone 550, Firestone 550 at Texas. Carpenter further struggled on non-oval races, resulting in a best finish of 12th place at the 2012 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix at Belle Isle Park (Michigan), Belle Isle. On the ovals Carpenter was more competitive; at the 2012 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500 Carpenter crashed during Pole Day qualifying and re-qualified on Bump Day. Carpenter started in 28th place and moved into the top five in the late stages of the race only to spin on lap 180, which took Carpenter out of contention; he finished in 21st place, one lap down. At Texas, Carpenter started in 19th place and quickly moved up through the field, only to finish in 12th place after dropping back late in the race. At the 2012 Milwaukee IndyFest, Milwaukee IndyFest at the Milwaukee Mile, Carpenter started in 22nd place and finished in 8th place, his first top ten of the season. Carpenter had another 8th-place finish at the 2012 Iowa Corn Indy 250, Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa after starting in 21st place. Carpenter then started in 8th place at the 2012 Grand Prix of Baltimore, Grand Prix of Baltimore but he crashed on lap 7 of the race and was scored in 25th place. For the season-ending 2012 MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships, MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships at Auto Club Speedway, Carpenter started in 5th place and quickly challenged for the lead, which he held for 62 laps. Going into the last lap, Carpenter attempted to pass leader Dario Franchitti just as Takuma Sato lost control in turn 4. Carpenter completed the pass before the caution came out, and as a result, achieved his second IndyCar win. Carpenter finished the season ranked in 18th place, with 261 points. Carpenter finished in 7th place in the sub-classification for oval races, with 133 points.


=2013

= Carpenter returned with ECR in 2013 IndyCar Series, 2013 to drive the No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet. Carpenter improved his qualifying results on the ovals, with a worst start of 14th at the 2013 Pocono IndyCar 400, Pocono IndyCar 400 at Pocono Raceway. Despite this, Carpenter struggled away from the ovals, achieving a best start of 14th at the 2013 São Paulo Indy 300, Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300, and a best finish of 13th in the opening race of the double-header in 2013 Honda Indy Toronto, Toronto. On the ovals, Carpenter's results were significantly better, including pole position at the 2013 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500, where Carpenter's single-car team beat out all three cars fielded by Team Penske and all five cars fielded by Andretti Autosport, two of the largest teams in the series. In the race, Carpenter led for a race-high 37 laps, only to suffer handling issues in the second half of the race and dropped to a 10th-place finish. In the 2013 Firestone 550, Firestone 550 at Texas, Carpenter qualified 9th and finished 4th. Carpenter's only disappointing oval race was the 2013 Milwaukee IndyFest, Milwaukee IndyFest at Milwaukee where Carpenter qualified 20th and finished 14th, two laps down. At the 2013 Iowa Corn Indy 250, Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa, Carpenter started and finished 4th after leading for 18 laps, being one of the few drivers to pose a threat to race winner James Hinchcliffe. Carpenter then finished 9th at Pocono, where the Chevrolet engines lacked the fuel economy of the rival Honda engines. Carpenter's next competitive race was at the season-ending MAVTV 500, MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships at Auto Club Speedway, where Carpenter started 7th and finished 2nd after leading for a single lap. Carpenter finished the season ranked 16th, with 333 points.


=2014

= In 2014 IndyCar Series, 2014, Carpenter decided to split driving the No. 20 with Mike Conway; Conway drove the road courses and street circuits while Carpenter drove the ovals. At Carpenter's season debut, the 2014 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500, Carpenter qualified on pole position for the second consecutive year. In the race, Carpenter, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Hélio Castroneves and Marco Andretti dominated the lead with Carpenter leading for 26 laps. On lap 176 on a restart for separate crashes between Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden, Carpenter was running 2nd to Hunter-Reay when Townsend Bell went three-wide in an attempt to pass Carpenter on the outside while James Hinchcliffe was on the inside of Carpenter. Hinchcliffe made contact with Carpenter, sending both of them into the wall. This ended Carpenter's race with a 27th-place finish. At Carpenter's next race, the Firestone 600 at Texas, he qualified 5th and soon battled with Will Power for the lead. Later, when Carpenter and Power were making pit stops, Power came into the pit lane too fast and had to serve a penalty. On lap 142 a caution came out for Takuma Sato who had an engine fire. Carpenter and 2nd place driver Juan Pablo Montoya stayed out while the remaining lead lap cars – Power, Simon Pagenaud, Dixon and Tony Kanaan – pitted to get new tires. On the restart, with three laps to go, Carpenter held off Power for his third career IndyCar Series win. In the 2014 Pocono IndyCar 500, Pocono IndyCar 500 at Pocono, Carpenter started in 13th place and finished in the same position after having to make an extra pit stop to replace a tire. At the following race, the 2014 Iowa Corn Indy 300, Iowa Corn Indy 300 at Iowa, Carpenter started in 10th place. During the race, Carpenter battled a loose car in the late stages of the race while running in the top 5. On lap 282 Carpenter made contact with Juan Pablo Montoya in turn 3, causing Montoya to crash out of the race. During an interview with the IndyCar Series on NBC, NBC Sports Network, Montoya called Carpenter a "douchebag". During the caution period, Carpenter, Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, and Graham Rahal all made pit stops for new tires. On the restart, Hunter-Reay and Newgarden passed Kanaan, who had dominated the race up to that point, while Carpenter was able to finish up in the fifth position. During the weekend of the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee, it was announced that Ed Carpenter Racing was to merge with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing for the 2015 IndyCar Series, 2015 season, to form CFH Racing. In the race, Carpenter started in 7th place and finished in 9th place. At the season-ending 2014 MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships, MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships at Auto Club Speedway, Carpenter nearly crashed on both of his laps in qualifying and therefore started in 14th place. During the race, Carpenter's pit speed limiter did not function properly, which resulted in a drive-through penalty for speeding on the pit lane. Carpenter recovered to finish in 3rd place behind Chip Ganassi Racing teammates, Kanaan and Dixon. Carpenter finished 22nd in the final drivers' championship standings, with 262 points.


=2015

= For 2015 IndyCar Series, 2015, Carpenter again shared the No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet entry; he contested the oval races, and Luca Filippi contested the non-oval races. Carpenter first competed at the 2015 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis 500. On the morning of Pole Day qualifying, Carpenter half-spun in turn 2, and the left side of the car hit the outside wall. The car flipped over and slid down the back straightaway. Carpenter was unhurt in the incident, but as a result of the incident and similar crashes earlier in the month, the series decided to reduce the boost on cars. During this time, Carpenter's team prepared his backup car. Carpenter qualified 12th for the race, in which he struggled and was running in the top 15 when he attempted to pass Oriol Servià for the position on lap 113. The two drivers made contact and crashed into the turn 1 wall and Carpenter was scored in 30th place. Carpenter then competed at the 2015 Firestone 600, Firestone 600 at Texas; he started in 15th place and finished in 22nd place due to an engine failure after completing 147 laps. Two laps later, Carpenter's teammate Josef Newgarden also retired due to an engine failure. At the 2015 MAVTV 500, MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway, Carpenter started in 4th place and was involved in a crash on the main straightaway with Newgarden on lap 158 and was scored in 22nd place. He then achieved finishes of tenth at Milwaukee, sixth at Iowa, and seventeenth at 2015 ABC Supply 500, Pocono. As a result, he finished 27th in points. As of 2022, Carpenter is still racing the four ovals on the Indycar schedule.


Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

Carpenter competed in the 2007 24 Hours of Daytona, Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2007 Rolex Sports Car Series season, 2007 for Vision Racing in the No. 00 Porsche in motorsport, Porsche-Crawford Composites, Crawford with Tomas Scheckter,
Tony George Anton Hulman "Tony" George (born December 30, 1959) is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. ...
, A. J. Foyt IV and Stéphan Grégoire in the Daytona Prototype class. The car started 18th and finished 29th overall (17th in class) due to engine problems after 587 laps. Carpenter finished the season ranked 103rd in the final points standings. Carpenter returned to the series in 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series season, 2008, again for the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona, Rolex 24 at Daytona. He drove the No. 03 Vision Racing Porsche-Crawford with George, Foyt, Vítor Meira and John Andretti in the Daytona Prototype class. The car started 20th and finished 25th overall (12th in class) with 615 laps completed. Carpenter ranked 68th in the final points standings.


Media appearances


Film and television

Carpenter was the subject of an episode of the television series ''36 (TV series), IndyCar 36''. The episode highlights Carpenter's weekend at the 2012 Iowa Corn Indy 250, Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway. The episode was broadcast before the 2012 Honda Indy Toronto, Honda Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place on July 8, 2012.


Racing record


American open-wheel racing results

(Template:American Open Wheel driver results legend, key)


Indy Lights


IndyCar Series

: * ''Season still in progress'' : ''1 Run on same day.'' : ''2 Race cancelled due to death of Dan Wheldon''


Indianapolis 500


References


External links


CBS SportsESPN interviewIndyCar Driver Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Ed 1981 births Hulman–George family Living people Racing drivers from Indianapolis IndyCar Series drivers IndyCar Series team owners Indianapolis 500 drivers Indy Lights drivers Butler University alumni Indianapolis 500 polesitters Park Tudor School alumni USAC Silver Crown Series drivers A. J. Foyt Enterprises drivers PDM Racing drivers Cheever Racing drivers Vision Racing drivers Panther Racing drivers Sarah Fisher Racing drivers Ed Carpenter Racing drivers People from Paris, Illinois Racing drivers from Illinois