Ed Carpenter
Driver / Owner
Birthdate: March 3, 1981
Birthplace: Paris, Ill
Hometown: Indianapolis
Residence: Indianapolis
Spouse: Heather
Children: Makenna, Ryder, Cruz
Social Media
Fast Facts
Season: 23rd Starts:Β 205 Wins: 3 Poles: 4 Top 5 Finishes: 17 Top 10 Finishes: 53 Laps Led: 391 | First Start: 9/7/03 (Chicagoland) First Win: 10/2/11 (Kentucky) First Pole: 9/3/10 (Kentucky) Most Recent Win: 6/7/14 (Texas) Most Recent Pole: 5/20/18 (Indianapolis) |
Updated 11-1-24
BIOGRAPHY
Only one individual in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES handles both the responsibility of driving the race car and owning his own team: Ed Carpenter. The last NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver to come up through the rough and tumble world of USAC, he moved up what is now known as INDY NXT in 2002. Three weeks after graduating from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter became a winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he took the checkered flag at the inaugural Freedom 100. Later that year, he made his Indy car debut at Chicagoland Speedway. Kentucky Speedway was the home of Carpenterβs early successes as he won his first pole position at the oval in 2010 and followed up with his first victory in the final race of the 2011 season.
A new team came to the grid in 2012, Ed Carpenter Racing. Carpenterβs eponymous team became victorious in its first season as he again won the season finale, this time with a last-lap pass at Auto Club Speedway. He solidified his status as a hometown favorite when he scored back-to-back pole positions for the Indianapolis 500 in 2013 and 2014. Beginning in 2014, Carpenter prioritized driving in the oval events and chose a specialist to take over his No. 20 for the road and street course events. The team won three races that year, including Carpenterβs victory at Texas Motor Speedway.
In 2018, Carpenter became only the 10th driver in the 100-plus year history of the Indianapolis 500 to win three or more pole positions. He led 65 laps, most of all drivers, before a runner-up finish. He earned his most recent Top 5 finish in the 500-mile classic in 2021 with a 5th place. During the 2023 season, he reached two career milestones by competing in his 20th Indianapolis 500 and making his 200th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start. By taking the green flag in the 2024 Indianapolis 500, Carpenter moved into the Top 10 most starts of all drivers to ever compete in the race β a number that currently stands at 800.
As his team enters its 14th season in 2025, Carpenter will focus his driving efforts exclusively on the Indianapolis 500. He will compete in ECRβs third entry alongside new teammate and Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi and second-year driver Christian Rasmussen.
Carpenter is a prominent figure in the Indianapolis community alongside his wife Heather, who has a successful real estate career of her own. The couple devote much of their time to their children, Makenna (17), Ryder (15) and Cruz (11), each of whom are talented athletes. Carpenter recently completed a long-time goal of earning his pilot certificate and often flies to race events in the plane he shares with fellow aviator Rossi.Β
Career Highlights
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Career with Ed Carpenter Racing
– Entering the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing
– Drove the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet in the four oval events for his 22nd season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition
– Moved into the Top 10 most starts of all drivers to ever compete in the Indianapolis 500 β a number that currently stands at 800
– Drove the No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet in the oval events
– Competed in his 20th Indianapolis 500
– Made his 200th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at Iowa Speedway where he qualified 4th, his highest start of the year.
– 20th season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition
– Has led at least one NTT INDYCAR SERIES race in 14 of the past 15 seasons by leading at Texas Motor Speedway
– Set the fastest practice lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1996
– Qualified 4th for the Indianapolis 500, his 7th Top 4 start in the past 10 years
– Drove the No. 20 for Ed Carpenter Racing in the four oval events
– Qualified 4th for the Indianapolis 500, Β a mere .0047 of a second separating him from a front row start
– Led his team’s three-car lineup in the Indy 500 with a 5th place result
– Drove the No. 20 for Ed Carpenter Racing in the six oval events
– Began 18th season with a Top 5 finish at Texas Motor Speedway
– Represented the U.S. Space Force in his 17th Indianapolis 500 start
– Drove the five oval events for Ed Carpenter Racing in the No. 20 Chevrolet
– Started on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 for the fifth time in the past seven years
– 12th consecutive season of leading at least one NTT IndyCar Series race by taking the lead of the Indianapolis 500
– Earned 50th Indy car Top 10 finish at Pocono Raceway, despite only racing ovals since 2014
– Finished on the podium at WWT Raceway, finishing second by .0399 of a second
– Recorded Top 6 finishes in three of five races
– Drove the six oval events for Ed Carpenter Racing in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet
– Earned third career pole position for the Indianapolis 500, only the 10th driver in Indy 500 history to win three or more pole positions
– Led 65 laps during the Indianapolis 500, most of all drivers, before finishing a career-best 2nd
– Also led at Pocono Raceway, 11th consecutive season of leading at least one Verizon IndyCar Series race
– Running at the finish at five of six events with five Top 12 results
– Competed in the six Verizon IndyCar Series oval events for Ed Carpenter Racing
– Qualified second for the Indianapolis 500, his third front row start in the past five years
– Led at Indianapolis, extending streak to ten consecutive seasons of leading at least one lap
– Best finish of 7th at Phoenix International Raceway
– Recorded the fastest lap times in practice sessions at Indianapolis and Texas and the second-fastest lap in final practice at Iowa
– Competed in the five Verizon IndyCar Series oval events for Ed Carpenter Racing
– Qualified a season-best fifth at Phoenix
– Led at Texas Motor Speedway, his ninth consecutive season with at least one lap led
– Drove #20 Fuzzy’s Award Winning Vodka Chevrolet in six oval races
– Claimed top-ten finishes at Milwaukee and Iowa, best finish of 6th at Iowa
– Led race at Auto Club Speedway
– Announced he would compete exclusively in the oval events and would hand the car over to Mike Conway for the road and street course races
– Finished in the top five in three of six events he competed in
– Earned the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 for the second consectutive year with a four-lap average of 231.067 mph
– Won the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, leading 66 of the final 67 laps of the 248-lap event
– Captured the 2013 Indianapolis 500 pole position at 228.762 mph and led 37 laps, most of any driver
– Finished fourth at Texas and Iowa
– Nearly won his third consecutive season finale, placing second to Will Power at Auto Club Speedway in October
– Placed fifth in oval IndyCar Series point standings; 16th in overall point standings
– Announced the formation of Ed Carpenter Racing and an association with Fuzzyβs Award Winning Vodka
– Won the season-ending race at Auto Club Speedway on a last-lap pass over Dario Franchitti
– Running at the end of 14 of 15 races, tied for the best finishing record in the series
– Finished 18th in IndyCar Series point standings
Other NTT INDYCAR SERIES Career History
– Earned first Verizon IndyCar Series victory (Kentucky Speedway), driving for Sarah Fisher Racing
– Competed in 10 races
– Had a best starting position of fourth, also at Kentucky
– Started eighth in the Indianapolis 500
– Competed in four events for Panther Racing/Vision Racing
– Earned first career pole at Kentucky and tied career-best finish of second
– Started career-high eighth at Indianapolis
– Sixth season in the series proved to be best to date with career-high season points finish of 12th
– Scored best-ever finish of second in a wheel-to-wheel battle at Kentucky
– Tied career-best start of fourth in season finale at Homestead
– Finished 15th in standings driving for Vision Racing
– Tied career-best finish with fifth at Homestead and Indianapolis
– Recorded seven top-10 finishes
– Led first career laps in 92nd Indianapolis 500
– Finished 15th in point standings for Vision Racing
– Best finishes of sixth at Homestead and Iowa
– Finished 14th in point standings for Vision Racing with best finish of fifth at Chicagoland, his first career top-five
– Recorded six top-10 finishes, including best-ever road course finish of sixth at Watkins Glen
– Finished 18th in IndyCar Series standings for Vision Racing with a best finish of 10th at Nashville
– Finished 16th in championship standings for Red Bull Cheever Racing, earning a career-best eighth at Kentucky
– Finished second in Rookie of the Year standings
– Made Verizon IndyCar Series debut at Chicagoland with PDM Racing, started 16th and finished 13th
– Started two other events, finishing 13th at Auto Club and 21st in season finale at Texas
– Made history at Chicagoland when he became the first driver to compete in an Indy Lights race and a Verizon IndyCar Series race on the same weekend
Other Racing Experience
– Competed in Rolex 24 at Daytona with Vision Racing
– Competed in Rolex 24 at Daytona with Vision Racing
– Finished 13th in USAC National Midget Car Series as a rookie
– Earned first career feature victory at Louisville (Ky.) Motor Speedway in only his fourth start.
– Made midget debut at 16th Street Speedway (Indianapolis) in USAC Regional Series
– Finished third in Indy Lights point standings with one win and eight top five finishes
– Won inaugural Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first automobile race conducted in the month of May in conjunction with the Indianapolis 500
– Finished third in Indy Lights point standings with six top-five finishes in seven races
– Earned best result of second at Kentucky
– Completed the most laps (454 of a possible 455) and was the only competitor running at the finish of every event
– Competed in the USAC Sprint Car Series, earning first victory in season finale at Salem, Ind.
– Finished ninth overall in the USAC Silver Crown Series, earning six top-10 finishes
– Best result was sixth at Indianapolis Raceway Park in May
– Tested Verizon IndyCar Series car at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Panther Racing.
– Competed in the USAC Silver Crown Series, earning five top-10 finishes with best result of sixth at DuQuoin, Ill.
– Named Rookie of the Race at Phoenix and Nazareth
– Claimed the pole for the Hulman-Hoosier Hundred at Indiana State Fairgrounds and led 80 laps before retiring
– Finished ninth overall in USAC National Midget Car Series, earning four top-five finishes and a best result of second
at the Belleville (Kan.) Nationals.
– Raced in quarter-midget and three-quarter midget competition at the club, regional and national levels
– Won national quarter-midget championship events at Xenia, Ohio, and Hagerstown, Md.