Ed Carpenter and JR Hildebrand Eager To Take On 600 Kilometer Race At Re-Configured 1.5-Mile Oval

(SPEEDWAY, Ind.) June 6, 2017 – Race Preview

– Ed Carpenter Racing will run two Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolets under the lights outside Saturday night, piloted by Ed Carpenter and JR Hildebrand. The 248-lap, 600 kilometer race Rainguard Water Sealers 600 will take place at the high-banked, 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway, outside of Fort Worth. The twin Fuzzy’s Vodka cars of Carpenter and Hildebrand will be distinguishable by their neon accents as Carpenter’s car will be marked with day-glow yellow and Hildebrand’s with fluorescent orange.

– Team owner Carpenter will be returning to the site of his most recent win. The No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet was the car to beat at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014, with Carpenter leading 66 of the final 67 laps. At one point, he had stretched his lead to over 14 seconds. His victory that night was his was his third career win in the Verizon IndyCar Series. Saturday night’s Rainguard Water Sealers 600 will be the 36-year-old’s 16th race at Texas Motor Speedway.

– Hildebrand has three previous starts at Texas Motor Speedway, most recently in 2012 when he finished 5th. The 29-year-old was on track for a Top 5 finish two weeks ago at the Indianapolis 500 before a drive-through penalty with nine laps to go relegated him to a 16th place finish. Hildebrand already has one podium finish this year in his No. 21 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet after scoring a third place at Phoenix Raceway at the end of April.

– Last year, the Verizon IndyCar Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was scheduled for Saturday, June 11, 2016. After heavy rains came through the area, track officials could not stop water from coming up through the track surface. The race was postponed to Sunday, June 12. After 74 laps on Sunday, storms again pummeled the track. The remainder of the race was moved to Saturday, August 27.

– Carpenter was ECR’s lone entrant when the Verizon IndyCar Series returned after 76 day delay. The team’s second car, the No. 21 of Josef Newgarden, was not permitted to continue due to extensive chassis and engine damage after an accident during the June 12 segment. When the race resumed, Carpenter drove straight to the front of the field and ran second for the majority of the event. Still in second place, his car broke loose in traffic on Lap 224 of 248 and sent him into the wall. He was credited with an 18th place finishing position.

– Since the Verizon IndyCar Series last raced at Texas Motor Speedway, the 1.5-mile oval was repaved and Turns 1 and 2 were widened and re-profiled to 20 degrees. Turns 3-4 remain at 24 degrees. ECR tested at the newly configured track and on the new surface during an Open Test at Texas Motor Speedway on April 12. Sine Hildebrand had suffered a broken hand just three days earlier in a last-lap incident at Long Beach, teammate Spencer Pigot, road and street course driver for the No. 20, stepped in. Carpenter turned 145 laps during the test session and Pigot recorded 140 laps.

– NBC Sports Network will resume coverage of the Verizon IndyCar Series, beginning Friday afternoon in Texas. Coverage of qualifying will be broadcast on NBCSN from 2:15-3:15 pm CT (3:15-4:15 pm ET) on Friday, June 9. The 248-lap Rainguard Water Sealers 600 will be shown live, starting at 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) on Saturday, June 10.

ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet): “It is always great to go back to Texas! I can’t wait to see what type of race we will put on with the new layout! I am sure that it won’t disappoint. It will be an important race for the team to regain some momentum and get back on top.”

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 21 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet): “I’ve had a couple of good runs at Texas Motor Speedway, the last time I ran there we ended up 5th. That was one of the ultra-low downforce, sideways, all-over-the-track races! I’m looking forward to going back where it should be a little less of a hairy situation, but it’s always a great race and Ed Carpenter Racing has been solid there the last couple of years. There will be some differences with the new track surface, but I definitely expect for us to be strong there when we roll out.”