ED CARPENTER RACING LOOKS FOR SUCCESS IN FIRST TRIP TO WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
Newgarden, Pigot Will Race At Watkins Glen In An Indy Car For The First Time

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (August 30, 2016) – Preview Notes

• For the first time since 2010, the Verizon IndyCar Series will return to Watkins Glen International. Ed Carpenter Racing drivers Josef Newgarden and Spencer Pigot will compete at the 3.4-mile permanent road course in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York for the first time in their Indy car careers this Sunday, September 4.
• Watkins Glen International has hosted nine Indy car races, from 1979-81 and again from 2005-10. Ed Carpenter Racing, formed prior to the 2012 season, has never competed at Watkins Glen. Both ECR drivers were able to test their Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolets at Watkins Glen on August 11.
• While IndyCar was off over the 4th of July weekend, Pigot competed in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Pigot had raced to a 7.5 second lead before engine issues sidelined his team with 30 minutes remaining.
• The final oval race of the season was completed last Saturday with the resumption of the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Though Newgarden was not able to continue participating following an accident when the race began on June 12, he is still ranked as the top oval driver in 2016. Over the course of the five oval races this season, Newgarden earned more points than any other driver.
• Pigot enters Watkins Glen coming off his best finish of the year, a 7th place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. An IndyCar rookie, Watkins Glen will only be the 9th race of Pigot’s career.
• Despite earning points for a 22nd place finish at Texas, Newgarden sits only 10 points out of third place in the Verizon IndyCar Series point standings. The season’s final race at Sonoma Raceway will award double points.
• The penultimate race on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule was originally scheduled to be a street race in Boston, but was moved to Watkins Glen after the promoter cancelled the original event. What was added to the calendar this year as a replacement venue now has a new multi-year agreement with INDYCAR and will return in Labor Day weekend again in 2017.
• Practice will begin on Friday, September 2nd. Qualifying will follow on Saturday, September 3rd before the race on Sunday, September 4th. A live broadcast of the 60-lap INDYCAR Grand Prix at the Glen will begin at 2 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

SPENCER PIGOT, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA CHEVROLET: “Watkins Glen is quickly becoming one of my favorite tracks. It’s incredibly fast in an IndyCar and so much fun to drive. We had our best finish last time out in Mid-Ohio so hopefully we can build on that this weekend. I think the track will provide close exciting racing and I can’t wait to get started in our Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevy on Friday.”
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 21 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA CHEVROLET: “I’m very excited to get to Watkins Glen. We had a great test there a couple of weeks ago, even though it was only a half day with the rain. It’s one of the great race tracks I’ve been wanting to drive on since I was a little kid. I think it’s one of the best courses we have in North America and it’s fun for me to be able to go there for the first time. We should have a really good car. At the test, we had a really good car right off the truck. The season’s been rolling pretty good for us on the No. 21 Fuzzy’s Vodka car, it would be nice go into the last event with a strong result. That’s what we’re going to work on!”