INDIANAPOLIS 500 PREVIEW NOTES
 | STARTING POSITIONS 12th: ALEXANDER ROSSI 231.701 mph 14th: ED CARPENTER 231.633 mph 18th: CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN 231.438 mph TRACK: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval LOCATION: Speedway, Indiana, USA TRACK LAYOUT: 2.5-mile oval RACE BROADCAST: Sunday, May 25 – 10 a.m. ET (FOX) |
ED CARPENTER RACING AT THE INDY 500
- The next time Ed Carpenter Racing’s three Chevrolet-powered NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars take to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, it will be for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Alexander Rossi will start 12th in his first Indianapolis 500 with ECR. Team owner Ed Carpenter will be competing in his 22nd “500” on Sunday, which he will start from the 14th position. Christian Rasmussen will start his second Indy 500 from 18th.
- ECR’s ownership group is comprised of four Indianapolis businessmen: Carpenter, Ted Gelov, Tony George and Stuart Reed. Gelov, owner of Heartland Food Products Group, is the newest addition to the team. Heartland FPG is best known for their consumer brands Splenda and Java House Coffee, both of which are Indiana companies.
- Day-to-day operations at ECR remain under the direction of team president Tim Broyles. Brent “Woody” Harvey works side-by-side with Broyles as team manager. The engineering department is led by Matt Barnes, Chief Engineer and Eric Cowdin, Director of Development. Overseeing all crews are Chief Mechanic Jeff Grahn and Shop Manager Bret Schmitt. Nearly a dozen of the team’s 50 employees are original hires, including Broyles, Harvey, Barnes and Schmitt.
- Strategy for the No. 20 will be called by Broyles, who has held the role since ECR’s first race in 2012. Barnes is lead engineer for Rossi while Austin Shepherd leads the mechanics as Crew Chief for the No. 20. Pete Craik, Rasmussen’s engineer from 2024, has stayed with Rasmussen is now lead engineer of the No. 21. Also staying with Rasmussen this season are Crew Chief Jimmie Johnson and his supporting mechanics. Harvey will remain a constant on the No. 21 timing stand and continue as strategist. Cowdin is lead engineer of the No. 33 while John Gentilozzi has rejoined the team’s Indy 500 program and serves as Carpenter’s strategist. Jeff Frederick has returned to ECR and is crew chief for the No. 33 this month.
ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 20 JAVA HOUSE CHEVROLET
ALEXANDER ROSSI, No. 20 Java House Chevrolet, Starting 12th: “The big day is almost here and I can’t wait to get to work. We have had a pretty good month and have built a great No. 20 Java House Chevrolet that I know is capable of going to the front. Hopefully it’ll be our year to get number two in front of a sold out crowd!”
 BIRTHDAY: September 25, 1991 HOMETOWN: Nevada City, CA RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN INDY 500 STATS NUMBER OF STARTS: 9 TOP 5 FINISHES: 6 TOP 10 FINISHES: 7 BEST START: 3rd (2017) BEST FINISH: 1st (2016) CAREER STATS SEASON: 10th STARTS: 152 WINS: 8 POLES: 7 TOP 5 FINISHES: 50 TOP 10 FINISHES: 93 LAPS LED: 996 | OF NOTE: Alexander Rossi will start 12th in his first Indianapolis 500 with Ed Carpenter Racing. Rossi narrowly missed out on advancing to the Top 12 shootout, making four attempts in last Saturday’s qualifications. After each four-lap run he sat 12th (231.510 mph), 13th (231.349), 12th (231.701) and 13th (231.673). The very last qualifier of the day bumped Rossi down to 14th; however, he will start 12th after two competitors were been moved to the back of the starting field. Rossi burst onto the scene at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2016 as he won the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500. The Nevada City, California native was the first American rookie to win since 1928. His impressive consistency at IMS includes finishes of 7th or better in seven of his nine starts, including six Top 5s. Rossi is looking to continue a strong start to his first season with ECR, including three Top 10 finishes in his first four races with the team. He started sixth in the second race of the season at the Thermal Club, placing ECR in the Firestone Fast 6 for the first time since mid-2022. Java House made its on-track debut on Rossi’s No. 20 Chevrolet during his first test with ECR at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2024. The innovative cold brew coffee brand will now serve as Rossi’s primary sponsor at select races throughout the 2025 season, including the 2025 Indianapolis 500. In addition to its versatile Peel n Pour™ single serve beverages, Java House owns and operates cafes in the Indianapolis and Lafayette, IN markets. |
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 21 SPLENDA CHEVROLET
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet, Starting 18th: “My second Indy 500 is just around the corner! Overall the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet crew has had a strong month. There’s been a couple bumps on the road, but we have a fast race car most importantly. We will be looking to move forward in the race and I think we can do just that. Let’s go racing!”
 BIRTHDAY: June 29, 2000 HOMETOWN:Copenhagen, Denmark RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN INDY 500 STATS NUMBER OF STARTS: 1 BEST START: 24th (2024) BEST FINISH: 12th (2024) CAREER STATS SEASON: 2nd STARTS: 19 | OF NOTE: Christian Rasmussen will take Sunday’s green flag from the 18th starting position. Rasmussen drew the 29th qualifying position and his first four-lap average of 231.438 mph slotted him into the 14th position provisionally. Aiming to make the Top 12 shootout, Rasmussen made a second attempt with a speed of 231.206 mph. His earlier and faster time held, but he was fully prepared to make one more run. He was the next car in line to make another attempt when the checkered flag waved and he was locked into the field in the 20th position. Rasmussen, too, will move forward two positions in the starting lineup with the movement of two competitors to the last row. Rasmussen holds the distinction of the highest-finishing rookie in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 as he took the checkered flag in 12th. In his first attempt, he started from the 24th position and quickly raced his way forward. His Indy-only No. 33 crew executed skilled and precise pit stops, keeping Rasmussen in the fight on pit lane. He ran in the Top 10 for a majority of the race, including leading the Indianapolis 500. The 24-year-old is now in his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The Danish driver joined ECR after winning three championships in four years, including the 2023 INDY NXT title. Rasmussen’s performance in his debut season resulted in his being elevated to the No. 21 Chevrolet for the entirety of the 2025 season and beyond. Splenda®, the most recognizable low-calorie sweetener brand in the world, will be featured on Rasmussen’s No. 21 Chevrolet at select races throughout the 2025 season, including the Indianapolis 500. Since Splenda’s launch in 1991, more than 100 billion yellow packets have been sold. Coincidentally, Splenda’s packaging facility and ECR’s race shop are both on Georgetown Road in Indianapolis with locations less than one mile apart. |
ED CARPENTER, NO. 33 SPLENDA STEVIA CHEVROLET
ED CARPENTER, No. 33 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet, Starting 14th: “I am very excited for Indy 500 number 22! We had a great weekend of preparation and I am feeling confident and strong about what we can do with the No. 33 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet crew. I want nothing more than to win this race and I will be giving it my everything on Sunday!”
 BIRTHDAY: March 3, 1981 HOMETOWN: Indianapolis, IN RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN INDY 500 STATS NUMBER OF STARTS: 21 TOP 5 FINISHES: 3 TOP 10 FINISHES: 5 BEST START: 1st (2013, 2014, 2018) BEST FINISH: 2nd (2018) CAREER STATS SEASON: 23rd STARTS: 205 WINS: 3 POLES: 4 | OF NOTE: For his 22nd Indianapolis 500, Ed Carpenter will start 14th. He drew the 22nd position in last Saturday’s qualifying line. After his first four lap run with an average of 231.392 mph, Carpenter sat 14th behind Rossi in 12th and Rasmussen in 13th. Aiming for the Fast 12, Carpenter made a second qualification attempt and went even faster, with his next four-lap average of 231.633 mph moving him up the pylon. At the end of Day 1 of qualifying, Carpenter’s No. 33 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet sat 16th overall. He will also move forward two positions on Sunday’s grid with the two competitors being placed at the back of the field. The Indianapolis native solidified his status as a hometown favorite by winning the Indy 500 pole position in 2013 and 2014; in 2018, he became just the 10th driver to collect three or more Indy 500 poles in the century-plus history of the race. Some of his strongest finishes have come in recent years, including a runner-up finish after leading the most laps in 2018 and a 5th place in 2021. Carpenter is the only individual in the 33-car field who handles both the responsibility of driving the racecar while owning and operating his own team. The 44-year-old has competed exclusively in the oval events since 2014 but will focus his driving talents on only the Indianapolis 500 in 2025. Carpenter has over 200 NTT INDYCAR SERIES starts and 24 Top 10 finishes since starting his own team. He also led at least one race for 14 of 15 consecutive seasons. The No. 33 Chevrolet carries Indiana brands Splenda® Stevia and Liquid Science by Java House. Splenda® Stevia is grown in Florida, where the stevia plants are sweetened by sunshine and fresh air. Buzzing bees lend a helping hand in pollinating, while Splenda’s dedicated team selects the best stevia plants for a great tasting zero calorie sweetener. Liquid Science Hydration Pods are formulated to deliver optimal hydration with a scientifically balanced blend of electrolytes, ensuring rapid rehydration and replenishment during and after intense physical activity. |