JR Hildebrand will return to Ed Carpenter Racing for a third consecutive season in the Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet, as teammate to Ed Carpenter and Josef Newgarden for the month of May.
The partnership sees Hildebrand and Preferred Freezer back for the 100th Indianapolis 500 and the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He was spotted with the team at the Verizon IndyCar Series season opener at St. Petersburg.
Additionally, PFS will be the primary partner on Newgarden’s No. 21 at the Grand Prix of Boston and the Honda Indy Toronto, site of his second win in 2015. PFS will also be an associate on the No. 21 car for all of the remaining events, while team owner Ed Carpenter will carry the famous PFS polar bear on his firesuit the entire Verizon IndyCar Series season.
Hildebrand, 28, hasn’t run full-time in IndyCar since 2012. He ran a partial campaign with both Panther Racing and Bryan Herta Autosport in 2013, then has started only three races the last two years - all with Carpenter in both ECR and CFH Racing branding.
He has back-to-back top-10 finishes in the Indianapolis 500 with 10th in 2014 and eighth last year. He was also on target for a possible top five or top six result at the Angie’s List Grand Prix before a slow pit stop dropped him down the order, to 21st at the finish.
“I’m really glad we were able to put everything together at ECR to continue our program with Preferred Freezer,” Hildebrand said in a release. “Especially going into this year’s 100th Running of the 500, you know everyone is bringing their absolute best to the fight. After the experience I’ve had over the last two years with this team, I know that we’re going to be bringing a race-winning effort ourselves. I’m looking forward to working with Ed and Josef again and putting the PFS entries up front throughout May!”
1 p.m. today... #StayTuned pic.twitter.com/QazJKT34Ly
— Ed Carpenter Racing (@ECRIndy) March 22, 2016
One hour...see you back here at 1 p.m. #Soon pic.twitter.com/AHjgtjnEo9
— Ed Carpenter Racing (@ECRIndy) March 22, 2016