Carpenter suffers tough break at the end of Saturday's Toronto

TORONTO (July 13, 2013) – Ed Carpenter’s results Saturday at the Indy Toronto doesn’t show how competitive the ECR/Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevy was in the 85-lap opener in the “2 For TO” Double weekend.

Carpenter, the 2013 Indy 500 polesitter, came from a 23rd starting position to run in the top-ten late in the event around Toronto’s Exhibition Place. However, on the lap 70 restart, the front runners broke hard in turn one and many drivers checked up to avoid contact. Carpenter, who was ninth at the green flag restart, clipped James Hinchcliffe’s car’s rear bumper and broke his machine’s right front wing.

The No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet did not handle the same and Carpenter had to settle for 12th unofficially at the checkered flag. A disappointed Carpenter explained that his car had excellent pace to move up the field and should have finished at least ninth.

“It was a good race as we had good pace today with the Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet,” he said. “It was a bummer at the end. The Fuzzy’s guys did a great job in the pits. We were in position for a top-nine today. Then on the restart with 15 to go (lap 70), Hinch (James Hinchcliffe) checked up in turn one and I checked up too not to take him out. I didn’t have anywhere to go. I was able to check up enough to clip his rear bumper. It also broke my right front wing. Then our car just didn’t turn like before. I was just hanging on since we lost the balance of the car.”

Carpenter’s squad ran conservative with car’s fuel in the early stages and extended the pit window to lap 30. Despite pitting later than most of the field, Carpenter’s mount was handling well and he continued to move up the field. At lap 62, the series’ only team owner/driver posted a faster race lap speed than his qualifying reading on Friday. He ran as high as fifth at that point in the race.

“It’s disappointing to only get 13th today,” he said. “I think we could have easily been in the top-nine. I had the pace to be in the top-nine. There are things to be happy about because the pace was better and the performance was better than the finish shows. Man, it would be nice to get a result on one of the street circuits.”

Scott Dixon took the checkered flag for the second straight week after his Pocono win last Sunday. The former series champion defeated Sebastien Bourdais in the Chevy-powered car for Dragon Racing. Dario Franchitti was given a 25-second penalty for blocking after the race and was listed as 13th. Official results will be announced later this evening.

Dixon now has a shot at a $100,000 SONAX “Perfect Finish” Award with a victory on Sunday. SONAX presents the award to an IZOD IndyCar Series driver who wins both races in a doubleheader weekend.

The second race of the Toronto Indy is set for Sunday 3:30 p.m.

Ed Carpenter Racing