Newgarden Starts 9th, Hildebrand Will Roll Off 10th and Carpenter Bounces Back After Huge Morning Crash To Qualify 12th

(SPEEDWAY, Ind.) May 17, 2015 – Indianapolis 500 Qualifications Notes

– Qualifications for the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500 were truncated to a late-Sunday, one-shot attempt for all teams after rain washed out yesterday’s scheduled qualification sessions

– CFH Racing rallied together after Ed Carpenter became the second team entry (first being Josef Newgarden) and third competitor (Helio Castroneves) to become airborne after hard contact with the outside wall. Carpenter’s crash occurred in Turn 2 during the first session of morning practice, leaving the team rushing to prepare the No. 20T Fuzzy’s Award Winning Vodka Chevrolet in time for qualifications. Despite landing upside down, Carpenter was cleared and released from the IMS medical center. The original No. 20 entry was destroyed in the crash.

– Crew members from three CFH Racing entries built up the No. 20T entry from the tub that Luca Filippi drove in last weekend’s Angie’s List Indy Grand Prix of Indianapolis in just under three hours. The incredible team effort allowed Carpenter to return to the cockpit in the No. 20T by the start of practice and later qualify the Chevrolet in his one-shot attempt.

– CFH Racing successfully qualified all three team entries with Josef Newgarden leading the way in the 9th position behind the wheel of the No. 21 CENTURY 21 Chevrolet, followed by JR Hildebrand in 10th with the No. 6 Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet and rounded out by Ed Carpenter in 12th, driving the No. 20T Fuzzy’s Award Winning Vodka Chevrolet.

– Starting ninth in what will be his fourth Indianapolis 500 start, Newgarden qualified with a four lap average of 225.187 mph. His best start of 7th came in 2012, his first appearance, which also delivered his best finish of 25th.

– Hildebrand has joined CFH Racing for two events: last weekend’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis and next weekend’s 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Today he qualified in the 10th spot for his fifth Indianapolis 500 start with a four lap average of 225.099 mph. Hildebrand nearly won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 in his rookie year, finishing in second. He has four total starts in the 500-mile race, including last year as Carpenter’s teammate, finishing in the ninth spot

– After the morning crash, Carpenter’s hopes to make history in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 by winning the pole position for the third consecutive year were all but dashed. Nonetheless, he and his team overcame great adversity to qualify in the 12th position with a four lap average of 224.803 mph. The 34-year-old Carpenter has 11 previous starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 5th in 2008.

– CFH Racing is the only multi-car team with an all-American driver line up, prompting the team’s nickname of “Team America.” Hildebrand is from Sausalito, Calif., now residing in Boulder, Colo.; Ed Carpenter hails from Indianapolis, IN., where he still lives; Newgarden is a Hendersonville, Tenn. native, also residing in Indianapolis.

– The team returns to track action tomorrow and seeks to dial in their race cars as practice for the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500 continues from 12:30-4 P.M. ET.