Ed Carpenter’s ability to deliver the goods on the ovals has to put him in the conversation of potential winners for this month’s 97th Indianapolis 500. As practice starts today at the Brickyard, the IZOD IndyCar Series’ lone owner/driver is aiming to be a contender at IMS like he was in last year’s race.
Carpenter started 28th after crashing his primary No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet on Pole Day and having to put a backup into the show on Bump Day. As the race wore on, he made his way up the pylon and was running third with 20 laps to go. But on Lap 181, a broken front wing adjuster on his car caused Carpenter to spin out of the battle for the lead.
“We broke a front wing adjuster in the middle of the race and I was trying to spin out on almost every lap,” Carpenter remembered going into this weekend. “But we had a fast car and I was driving it right on the edge at the end.
“It was a frustrating month of May until Race Day. Then, everything came together. Our pit stops were very good and the team made the proper adjustments during the race. It was just that wing adjuster that hurt us in the end.”
However, Carpenter and his team would eventually get that 500-mile race win in the 2012 season finale at Auto Club Speedway outside Los Angeles, as he passed Dario Franchitti on the final lap just before a wreck by Takuma Sato brought out the caution to freeze the field.
That victory gives Carpenter the confidence that he and his group can fight the bigger teams this month at Indy.
“…Winning the Indy 500 is the primary goal every year,” he said. “I know the team has worked extremely hard during the off-season to prepare for this year’s ‘500’. Our team has now won a 500-mile race and I think we are as ready as we can be to be a strong contender for another 500 [mile] victory.”
