Ed Carpenter
Driver / Owner
Only one individual in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES handles both the responsibility of driving the racecar and owning his own team: Ed Carpenter. As one of the most experienced drivers in the field, 2024 will be Carpenter’s 22nd season of Indy car competition.
Even now as he competes exclusively in the oval events, the 42-year-old has 24 top-ten finishes since starting his own team and led at least one race for 14 of 15 seasons. He solidified his status as a hometown favorite when he scored back-to-back pole positions for the Indianapolis 500 in 2013 and 2014; in 2018, he became only the 10th driver in the 102-year history of the Indianapolis 500 to win three or more pole positions.
The 2003 Butler University graduate resides in Indianapolis with wife Heather and their children Makenna, Ryder and Cruz.
Fast Facts
Birthdate: March 3, 1981 Birthplace: Paris, Ill Hometown: Indianapolis Residence: Indianapolis Ht./Wt.: 5’9″/165 Spouse: Heather Children: Makenna, Ryder, Cruz Twitter: @EdCarpenter20 | Starts: 205 Wins: 3 Poles: 4 Top 5 Finishes: 17 Top 10 Finishes: 53 Laps Led: 391 First Start: 9/7/03 (Chicagoland) |
Updated 8-17-24
BIOGRAPHY
Ed Carpenter learned to drive on tractors, but by the time he was eight years old he had moved to racecars. Carpenter began his career in quarter-midget and three-quarter midget competition at the club, regional and national levels. His midget debut came in 1999 at the 16th Street Speedway as part of the USAC Regional Series.
Through 2001, Carpenter found success while moving up through the USAC ranks, competing in the National Midget Car Series, Silver Crown and Sprint Car Series. In 2002, Carpenter joined the Menards Infiniti Pro Series (now Indy Lights) and finished third in the point standings with 454 of a possible 455 laps completed.
Three weeks after he graduated from Butler University in May of 2003, Carpenter became a winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after claiming the inaugural Freedom 100. That win, coupled with six top-five finishes in seven races, gave Carpenter another third-place finish in the Indy Lights championship.
2003 was also the beginning of Carpenter’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES career. His debut came at Chicagoland Speedway where he made history when he was the first driver to compete in an Indy Lights event and an Indy car event in the same weekend. Carpenter’s rookie NTT INDYCAR SERIES season followed in 2004 with Red Bull Cheever Racing, finishing second in the Bombardier Rookie of the Year standings.
From 2005 to 2009, Carpenter drove full seasons for Vision Racing, collecting 26 top-10 finishes along the way. In 2010, he competed in four events for Panther Racing/Vision Racing. He earned his first career pole position at Kentucky Speedway, finishing second in the race for the second year in a row. Kentucky continued to be kind to Carpenter as he claimed his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES win the following year at the track, one of ten events he competed in as part of Sarah Fisher Racing.
A new team came to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES grid in 2012, Ed Carpenter Racing. Carpenter’s own team would feature himself as the driver and an association with Fuzzy’s Award Winning Vodka. He claimed his second season finale victory in a row with a last-lap pass at Auto Club Speedway. Throughout the season he finished 14 of 15 races, tied for the best finishing record in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Carpenter and his team were able to claim the coveted pole position for the 2013 Indianapolis 500 with an average speed of 228.762 mph. He led 37 laps of that event, the most of any driver. In October, he nearly won his third consecutive season finale, finishing second at Auto Club Speedway. Carpenter placed fifth in the final NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval point standings.
For the 2014 season, Carpenter announced he would drive in the six oval events and hired Mike Conway to drive the Fuzzy’s Vodka car in the road and street course events. Carpenter finished in the top five of half of the races he competed in, including a win at Texas Motor Speedway. That victory was one of three Ed Carpenter Racing would record in 2014. Carpenter was the fastest qualifier for the Indianapolis 500 for the second year in a row, claiming another pole position with a four-lap average of 231.067 mph.
Carpenter continued to compete in the oval events during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, but was plagued by mechanical and electrical issues. In the 11 races he completed in, he was sidelined in all but three. However, two of those three resulted in Top 10 finishes, including a 6th place at Iowa Speedway. In 2015, Luca Filippi stepped into the No. 20 for the road and street course events and Carpenter hired 2015 Indy Lights champion Spencer Pigot to drive the non-ovals following the 2016 Indianapolis 500.
For the third time in five years, Carpenter earned himself a front row starting position for the Indianapolis 500 as he qualified second in 2017. He qualified 4th at Iowa Speedway and 5th at Gateway Motorsports Park, with a best finish of 7th at Phoenix Raceway. Before being collected in an incident in the opening green-flag lap at his final race of the year at Gateway, Carpenter had finished no worse than 12th in the other five oval races in 2017. Pigot again took over the No. 20 for the road and street course events.
In May of 2018, he won his third pole for the Indianapolis 500, only the 10th driver in the 102-year history of the race to win three or more pole positions. He would lead 65 laps, most of all drivers, before a runner up finish – the highest of his Indy 500 starts. He was running at the checkered flag in five of the six oval events he competed in with a Top 12 finish in each. British rookie Jordan King would take over Carpenter’s No. 20 at the road and street course events.
Carpenter continued to show his prowess at IMS in 2019, starting on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 for fifth time in the past seven years. He added to his tally of solid “500” results by finishing 6th, the best of ECR’s three-car lineup. Later in the summer, he reached a milestone 50th career Top 10 finish, even with only competing on ovals since 2014. In his final race of the year, Carpenter returned to the podium with a thrilling side-by-side finish at WWT Raceway – a mere .0399 seconds separating him from the first position. It was the 12th season in a row where Carpenter would lead at least one NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. He would finish in the Top 6 in three out of his five races in 2019. Ed Jones, the 2017 Rookie of the Year, drove the No. 20 during the other 12 events on the calendar.
The 2020 season started off on a high note as Carpenter earned a Top 5 finish at Texas Motor Speedway. His campaign would eventually consist of six oval races as the schedule was continually adjusted. Carpenter represented the newest branch of the United States Armed Forces, the United States Space Force, in the 2020 Indianapolis 500. The partnership was announced live on Fox & Friends and allowed Carpenter to take flight with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds days before the “500.” Fellow Indiana native Conor Daly drove the No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for the road and street course events.
Four oval races were included on the 2021 calendar, all which Carpenter competed in. Only .0047 of a second separated Carpenter from another front row start at the Indianapolis 500, with teammate Rinus VeeKay bumping him to 4th. A stalled engine would drop him to 28th, but years of experience helped him rejoin the fight at the front with a quarter of the race remaining. His 5th place result in 2021 remains one of his strongest 500 finishes. He would again share the No. 20 with Daly.
With Daly moving to the No. 20 full-time in 2022, the No. 33 entry was created for Carpenter and ECR’s lineup expanded to three cars on the ovals. By pacing the field at Texas Motor Speedway, he has led at least one race in 14 of the past 15 NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons. Prior to this year’s Indianapolis 500, Carpenter set the fastest practice lap since 1996. He advanced through all rounds of qualifying, where the field was narrowed from 33, to 12, to only 6 who had a chance to earn the pole position. He would ultimately mirror his qualifying effort from the previous year and start 4th – his 7th Top 4 start in the past 10 years.
Carpenter reached two impressive career milestones during the 2023 season. Driving the No. 33, he competed in his 20th Indianapolis 500. Later in the season, he made his 200th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at Iowa Speedway where he qualified 4th, his highest start of the year. By taking the green flag in the 2024 Indianapolis 500, Carpenter will achieve another feat. He will move into the Top 10 most starts of all drivers to ever compete in the race – a number that currently stands at 795.
As his team enters its 13th season in 2024, Carpenter will return to the No. 20 for the oval events. The team transitioned back to a model it utilized for many years, splitting the No. 20 between the talents two drivers. Joining Carpenter will be 2023 Indy NXT (formerly Indy Lights) champion and rookie Christian Rasmussen, who will take over for the road and street course events. Carpenter will continue as one of the most experienced competitors in the field with 2024 serving as his 22nd season as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver.
Career Highlights
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Career with Ed Carpenter Racing
– Will drive the No. 20 in the oval events for his 22nd season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition
– 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, 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 Fuzzy’s 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.