14th: CONOR DALY No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet 21st: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet NEXT RACE: PPG 375 at Texas Motor SpeedwayApril 2 (NBC, 12 p.m. ET)

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Finished 14th: “The race was playing out how we wanted. We got really lucky to avoid that first crash, which was one of the craziest things I have ever seen in my life. I felt strong, running with Rinus (VeeKay) and Josef (Newgarden). Then we just got taken out by Kyle Kirkwood. It was such a shame to get spun like that, but we hung on and kept fighting. The BITNILE.COM Chevrolet had good pace all day. On to the next one!” (Photo Courtesy of INDYCAR Photo)

RACE RESULTS:

START: 24th

FINISH: 14th

STATUS: Running

LAPS COMPLETED: 99/100

OF NOTE:

• Though improvements were made to the No. 20 BITNILE.COM across all three practice sessions, Conor Daly started 26th in today’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He deftly avoided a major accident in the opening corners of the race, gaining six positions as he cleared the scene. The race was red flagged while the track was cleared and as soon as the pits opened, Daly came in for a set of black Firestone Firehawks after starting on the new green tires. 

• Daly had just completed his second pit stop when he was struck by Kyle Kirkwood on Lap 37 and made contact in Turn 9. Once the car was re-fired, he brought it around the circuit and into he pit lane for repairs. With a front wing change and a set of fresh Firehawks, Daly rejoined the field. 

• Though he was a lap down, Daly persevered. His determination paid off and he continued to gain positions as other cars fell out of the race. By the checkered flag, he was up to 14th and finished 12 spots higher than where he started.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

RACE RESULTS:

START: 24th

FINISH: 21st

STATUS: Contact

LAPS COMPLETED: 41/100

OF NOTE:

• Rinus VeeKay was one of the fastest cars in the practice sessions leading up to qualifying, setting the 6th and 3rd fastest laps, respectively. During qualifications, his flying lap was interrupted by a slow-moving car and he had to settle for a 24th position on today’s starting grid.

• VeeKay made it through a multi-car incident on Lap 1, gaining six positions. After the red flag was lifted, he made his first pit stop on Lap 3 to switch from alternate green Firestone Firehawks to primary black tires. He cycled into the Top 10 on Lap 30 and pitted from 5th on his second stop.

• After his Lap 35 pit stop, he was running 14th. However, VeeKay became entangled in another multi-car accident on Lap 41. The No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet was moved behind the wall and VeeKay was retired from the event, scoring a 21st place finish.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 – SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2023 TRACK: Streets of St. Petersburg LOCATION: St. Petersburg, Florida, USA TRACK LAYOUT: 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit RACE LENGTH: 100 laps/180 miles PRACTICE: Friday – 3-4:15 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium)Saturday – 10-11 a.m. ET (Peacock Premium)Sunday – 9-9:30 a.m. ET (Peacock Premium) QUALIFYING: Saturday – 2:15-3:30 p.m. ET (Peacock Premium) RACE: Sunday – 12:30 p.m. ET (NBC, 12 p.m. ET)

ED CARPENTER RACING

• Unparalleled consistency remains the theme for Ed Carpenter Racing as the team enters its 12th season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition. For the fourth consecutive year, ECR will have the same driver lineup and feature nearly identical leadership across the organization. The team’s two full-time entries, the No. 20 of Conor Daly and the No. 21 of Rinus VeeKay, in addition to the ovals-only No. 33 of Ed Carpenter, will be fully supported by new digital marketplace BITNILE.COM. 

• ECR is led by Carpenter, the only individual in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES who handles both the responsibility of driving the racecar and owning his own team. As one of the most experienced drivers in the field, 2023 will be Carpenter’s 21st season of Indy car competition. He solidified his status as a hometown favorite when he scored back-to-back pole positions for the Indianapolis 500 in 2013 and 2014, then again in 2018. 

• Day-to-day operations at ECR remain under the direction of team president Tim Broyles. Matt Barnes leads as Chief Engineer while long-time team member Jeff Frederick has been promoted to Chief Mechanic. Pete Craik continues as lead engineer for the No. 20 with Jeff Grahn as crew chief. On the No. 21, Barnes serves as VeeKay’s lead engineer with Dave Arnold moving up to crew chief. Strategists will again be Brent “Woody” Harvey for VeeKay and Broyles for the No. 20 car, a position he has held since ECR’s first race in 2012. Nearly a dozen of the team’s 40 employees are original hires, including Broyles, Barnes and Harvey.

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “Starting the new season with BITNILE.COM on both our team cars is super exciting. We have 17 races in front of us to do some incredible things together. I have always enjoyed St. Pete and have been close to some good results there several times. We’ve all worked hard over the winter and we are ready to start the season strong!”

OF NOTE:

• Conor Daly returns to ECR for a fourth season and his second as full-time driver of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. In 2023, he will reach a career milestone as he makes his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start early in the season and will compete in his 10th Indianapolis 500.

• Second-generation racer Daly climbed into a kart for the first time at the age of 10; within five years, he was competing in both United States and international open-wheel ladder systems. He found success in each before concentrating solely on American motorsports in 2015. Born and raised in nearby Noblesville, Ind., Daly has grown to be a hometown favorite in the Indianapolis 500. The 2021 edition saw him lead the most laps of all drivers; in 2022, he finished a career-best 6th.

• Daly has competed in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg five times, leading the race for 16 laps during his first event in 2016. In 2022, Daly qualified 20th and finished 21st. Despite the challenges last year’s event presented, he was able to set the fastest lap of the race.

BIRTHDAY: December 11, 1990
HOMETOWN: Noblesville, IN
RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN

ST. PETE STATS
BEST START: 14th (2020)
BEST FINISH: 13th (2016)
NUMBER OF STARTS: 5

CAREER STATS
SEASON: 10th
STARTS: 97
POLES: 1
BEST FINISH: 2nd, Detroit 2016

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet: “I’m just so excited to get back to racing, the offseason is too long! Of course, the first race of the year is nice but it is also a test to see how our offseason preparation has paid off. I cannot wait to get back out there and get some podiums! I’m also very excited to get to drive the white and gold BITNILE.COM car, thank you to Todd Ault for making it happen! Counting down the milliseconds until St. Pete!” (Photo Courtesy of INDYCAR Photo)

OF NOTE:

• Rinus VeeKay remains ECR’s longest-tenured full-time driver, now entering his fourth season behind the wheel the No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet. The 22-year-old has spent his entire NTT INDYCAR SERIES career with ECR and will make his 50th start early in the 2023 season at Barber Motorsports Park. 

• Raised in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Rinus van Kalmthout transitioned to the Road to Indy (RTI) in 2017 and launched his U.S. career driving as Rinus VeeKay. He joined ECR for the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, following a rapid ascent through the RTI which included 16 wins and 36 podiums in 48 races. VeeKay became an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner in May of 2021 with a victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and earned his most recent pole position at Barber Motorsports Park this past season. 

• Of his three starts in the streets of St. Petersburg, the 2022 edition proved to be the most fruitful for VeeKay to date. He started 4th following his first career Firestone Fast 6 appearance. After leading 13 laps, he brought home a 6th-place finish. 

BIRTHDAY: September 11, 2000

HOMETOWN:

Hoofddorp, Netherlands

RESIDENCE:

Fort Lauderdale, FL

ST. PETE STATS

BEST START: 4th (2022)

BEST FINISH: 6th (2022)

NUMBER OF STARTS: 3

CAREER STATS

SEASON: 4th

STARTS: 46

WINS: 1

POLES: 2

(INDIANAPOLIS) November 15, 2022 – Ed Carpenter Racing announced today a new driver development program featuring Josh Pierson. The 16-year-old will continue his ascent through the Road to Indy ranks with the intent of competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2025 with ECR. Pierson, an Oregon native, will have the guidance and support of ECR team members as he furthers his career and will be mentored by team owner Ed Carpenter. Additionally, Pierson will begin testing one of ECR’s Chevrolet-powered Indy cars in 2023. 

Behind the wheel since he was just two years old, Pierson already has a long list of accomplishments and the young driver’s resume grows more today by becoming the first-ever development driver for Ed Carpenter Racing. “I’m honored by the confidence Ed Carpenter has placed in me and so incredibly grateful to have a path to INDYCAR with Ed Carpenter Racing,” stated Pierson. “I’ve been dreaming about racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for as long as I can remember!”

Pierson has been re-writing the history books for several years, collecting accolades and victories as he progresses towards the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. After a decade of karting experience with numerous championships and national titles, he began racing open-wheel cars at 13. At ages 14 and 15, he was the youngest driver on the grid in the Road to Indy’s USF2000. In early 2022, he became the youngest driver to participate in IMSA’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Just two months later, he earned the title of the youngest race winner in the FIA’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a victory at the 1000 Miles of Sebring. As of June of 2022, he is the youngest starter in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished 10th overall. This past weekend in Bahrain, Pierson concluded his 2022 WEC season with a 2nd place in the race, 3rd place in the championship standings and was named WEC’s equivalent of Rookie of the Year. 

Reaching the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is part of a five-year program for Pierson. For the next two years, he will focus on INDY NXT, formerly known as Indy Lights. INDY NXT is the final step in the Road to Indy before the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. With plans for a partial season in 2023, he will challenge for the INDY NXT championship in 2024 as he races the full calendar. Carpenter, the only active owner/driver in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, will mentor Pierson while working towards the goal of Pierson competing for ECR in 2025 and beyond.

Carpenter is excited for the long-term future of ECR and is confident in the addition of Pierson as a development driver. “I have truly enjoyed getting to know Josh Pierson and his family.  For such a young man, he has already accomplished so much in his racing career.  Along with that, he is such a well-spoken and professional person,” commented Carpenter.  “I am confident with the plan that we have in place that he will develop into a complete racing driver. We very much look forward to working with him as we finalize his path to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting in 2025.”

The 2023 race season will see Pierson build upon his experience in multiple disciplines, competing in both U.S.-based and international series. Stateside, he will compete in a partial INDY NXT schedule with HMD Motorsports. He will also aim to continue his endurance racing success in LMP2 with United Autosports, competing across the globe in the FIA World Endurance Championship. As part of his development driver program with ECR, Pierson will begin testing in one of the team’s Chevrolet-powered NTT INDYCAR SERIES cars in 2023.

Pierson made his INDY NXT testing debut on October 21, 2022 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with HMD Motorsports. Both the 2023 INDY NXT and NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons will begin the first weekend of March in the Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. ECR will continue to campaign two full-time entries, the No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet driven by Conor Daly and the Rinus VeeKay’s No. 21 BitNile Chevrolet. Carpenter will join Daly and VeeKay for the four oval races, expanding ECR’s lineup to three cars for those events.

14th: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered by BitNile Chevrolet 24th: CONOR DALY No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet NEXT RACE: 2023 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet, Finished 24th: “We had a really great start and a great first stint. I really enjoyed battling with Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist. I am not entirely sure what happened after that, we have some research to do because it felt like there was something that was affecting the way the car drove the rest of the race. I just kind of had to hold on to get to the finish. It’s a real shame, these last three races were really tough and it’s hard to end the year this way. There are a lot of great things to look back on though, we had some great moments. Just not the way we wanted to finish it. Super clean year, didn’t hit anything, ever. The BitNile guys did a great job. We’ll be back and be better next year.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM POWERED BY BITNILE CHEVROLET

14th: RINUS VEEKAY 01:12.1442 (111.676 mph) 15th: CONOR DALY 01:12.2661 (111.488 mph) TRACK: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca LOCATION: Monterey, California, USA TRACK LAYOUT: 11-turn, 2.238-mile natural road course RACE LENGTH: 95 laps/212.61 miles BROADCAST: Sunday – 11:40 a.m. PT (NBC)

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet, Qualified 15th: “Our qualifying session was a bit chaotic. To produce one lap and just get about a tenth and a half away from transferring was actually a good step forward for us. Last year we struggled here, I’m proud of the team for working really hard on this BitNile car. We’ll just get after it in the race. It’s going to be really interesting with the tire degradation, we have a set of reds that are saved. We’ll see what happens. We were close, definitely close!”

LAGUNA SECA STATS BEST START:  13th (2019) BEST FINISH:  16th (2021) NUMBER OF STARTS: 2 CAREER STATS SEASON: 9th STARTS: 96 POLES: 1 BEST FINISH: 2nd, Detroit 2016

OF NOTE: * A red flag abbreviated Round 1, Group 1 of today’s qualifying, leaving Conor Daly with only one chance to turn a lap on red Firestone Firehawks. He made the most of the opportunity, missing a spot in the second round by less than two-tenths of a second. He was 8th at the checkered flag, giving him the 15th starting position in tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.  * Daly has competed in two NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the 2019 and 2021 editions of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. Last year, he ran a clean race and fought hard throughout the duration to bring home a 16th place finish. Daly is no stranger to success at Laguna Seca as he won both races of a Super Trofeo doubleheader at the course in 2019, one week before the INDYCAR race. * BitNile Holdings, Inc. is the primary partner of the No. 20 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal. BitNile is a diversified holding company that specializes in disruptive technologies, including cryptocurrency and innovations in the field of Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”). They focus on large-scale crypto mining with energy efficient, powerful operations located in North America and operate their own high-density data center. BitNile invests in technology platforms that provide crypto holders a vehicle to earn interest on their crypto assets.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM POWERED BY BITNILE CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered By BitNile Chevrolet, Qualified 14th: “We definitely got better from practice to qualifying, but we should have advanced. A car came out in front of me on my second lap, so even though my time should have improved, it didn’t. It’s a bummer, but we definitely moved in the right direction. We should be in good shape for the warm up tomorrow and we’ve got some good things to try for the race.”

LAGUNA SECA STATS 2021 START: 24th 2021 FINISH: 18th NUMBER OF STARTS: 1 CAREER STATS SEASON: 3rd STARTS: 45 WINS: 1 POLES: 2

OF NOTE: * A mere .045 of a second separated Rinus VeeKay from advancing to the second round of today’s qualifications. On his first lap on a set of red sticker Firestone Firehawks, he shot to the stop of the charts. During his second lap, a car exited the pit lane in front of him. He was not able to improve his time, but held on to the 7th position until the end of the session and will start 14th tomorrow. * As the 2020 edition of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey was cancelled, VeeKay has one previous NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Last year, he struggled with grip on his opening set of tires and had to switch from a three-stop strategy to a four-stop. In the closing laps, he made up four positions to finish 18th. Prior to joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, VeeKay competed in the 2019 Indy Lights doubleheader at the road course and won both races.  * Through the generosity of BitNile Holdings, Inc. (BitNile), ECR’s Bitcoin Racing Team continued to grow in 2022. Beginning with the Indianapolis 500, VeeKay has driven the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered by BitNile Chevrolet. BitNile provided VeeKay the unique opportunity to design the car, allowing him pay homage to his native country of the Netherlands and his Dutch family, friends and supporters. Additionally, any individual who scans the unique QR code on the side of the No. 21 car and completes the registration receives free Bitcoin from Earnity, a community-based crypto platform of which BitNile is a significant investor.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 TRACK: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca LOCATION: Monterey, California, USA TRACK LAYOUT: 11-turn, 2.238-mile natural road course RACE LENGTH: 95 laps/212.61 miles PRACTICE: Friday – 2:30-3:45 p.m. PT (Peacock Premium), Saturday – 10:15-11:15 a.m. PT (Peacock Premium), Sunday – 9-9:30 a.m. PT (Peacock Premium) QUALIFYING: Saturday – 2:05-3:20 p.m. PT (Peacock Premium) RACE: Sunday – 12:30 p.m. PT (NBC, 12 p.m. PT)

ED CARPENTER RACING

The 2022 season has come down to the final 95 laps of the year, the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. Ed Carpenter Racing drivers Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay are eager to conclude their campaigns on a high note at the famous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca road course. This weekend’s event is also part of a four-race technical partnership between ECR and Paretta Autosport. ECR provides support and personnel for Paretta Autosport’s No. 16, driven by Simona De Silvestro. The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale will take place this Sunday, September 11 – VeeKay’s 22nd birthday.

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet: “WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is a beautiful track, a great track for drivers. We obviously want to finish the season strong there after a tough go the past couple of races. Everyone at Ed Carpenter Racing wants to finish on a high note and hopefully we can get the job done for BitNile and all of the supporters we have had all year long!”

Photo Courtesy of INDYCAR

BIRTHDAY: December 11, 1990 HOMETOWN: Noblesville, IN RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN LAGUNA SECA STATS BEST START: 13th (2019) BEST FINISH: 16th (2021) NUMBER OF STARTS: 2 CAREER STATS SEASON: 9th STARTS: 96 POLES: 1 BEST FINISH: 2nd, Detroit 2016

OF NOTE: * Highlights of Conor Daly’s third season with ECR and first as full-time driver of No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet include the most successful Month of May of his career. He advanced through all rounds of qualifying and started 4th in the GMR Grand Prix, held on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Daly managed a 5th place finish in the race with some of the trickiest conditions of the year, with rain on and off for the duration of the event. Two weeks later, he paced the Indianapolis 500 field for several laps before finishing 6th – a career-best. Throughout the summer, Daly proved his versatility as a driver with strong finishes on both road courses and street courses. At the oval of Iowa Speedway, Daly qualified 3rd for both races of the doubleheader event.  * Daly has competed in two NTT INDYCAR SERIES events at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the 2019 and 2021 editions of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. Last year, he ran a clean race and fought hard throughout the duration to bring home a 16th place finish. Daly is no stranger to success at Laguna Seca as he won both races of a Super Trofeo doubleheader at the course in 2019, one week before the INDYCAR race. * BitNile Holdings, Inc. is the primary partner of the No. 20 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal. BitNile is a diversified holding company that specializes in disruptive technologies, including cryptocurrency and innovations in the field of Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”). They focus on large-scale crypto mining with energy efficient, powerful operations located in North America and operate their own high-density data center. BitNile invests in technology platforms that provide crypto holders a vehicle to earn interest on their crypto assets.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM POWERED BY BITNILE CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered By BitNile Chevrolet: “I am so excited to head back to Laguna Seca. I had two wins there in Indy Lights, I just love the track. It’s low grip and very fun. I also love the area and the whale watching! It will take a lot of work to be fast this weekend, but we are ready for it and ready to improve. It will be  the last race of the year and also my birthday! It will be a happy day, but also sad day because the season will be over!”

BIRTHDAY: September 11, 2000 HOMETOWN: Hoofddorp, Netherlands RESIDENCE: Fort Lauderdale, FL LAGUNA SECA STATS 2021 START: 24th 2021 FINISH: 18th NUMBER OF STARTS: 1 CAREER STATS SEASON: 3rd STARTS: 45 WINS: 1 POLES: 2

OF NOTE: * Rinus VeeKay’s third season as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver was off to a strong start immediately as he led three of the first four races and recored three Top 10 finishes. He captured his second career pole position at Barber Motorsports Park, led the most laps of all drivers and earned his first podium of the year. Heading into the Indianapolis 500, he qualified on the front row for a second consecutive year and was the fastest Chevrolet-powered driver for the third year in a row. During the grueling mid-summer stretch, VeeKay recorded two 4th place finishes and one 6th place. * As the 2020 edition of the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey was cancelled, VeeKay has one previous NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Last year, he struggled with grip on his opening set of tires and had to switch from a three-stop strategy to a four-stop. In the closing laps, he made up four positions to finish 18th. Prior to joining the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, VeeKay competed in the 2019 Indy Lights doubleheader at the road course and won both races.  * Through the generosity of BitNile Holdings, Inc. (BitNile), ECR’s Bitcoin Racing Team continued to grow in 2022. Beginning with the Indianapolis 500, VeeKay has driven the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered by BitNile Chevrolet. BitNile provided VeeKay the unique opportunity to design the car, allowing him pay homage to his native country of the Netherlands and his Dutch family, friends and supporters. Additionally, any individual who scans the unique QR code on the side of the No. 21 car and completes the registration receives free Bitcoin from Earnity, a community-based crypto platform of which BitNile is a significant investor.

GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND QUALIFYING NOTES

12th: RINUS VEEKAY 58.5356 (120.788 mph) 20th: CONOR DALY 58.4398 (120.986 mph) TRACK: Portland International Raceway LOCATION: Portland, Oregon, USA TRACK LAYOUT: 12-turn, 1.964-mile natural road course RACE LENGTH: 110 laps/216.04 miles BROADCAST: Sunday – 12:30 p.m. PT (NBC, 12 p.m. PT)

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet, Qualified 20th: “We just didn’t have enough today. It’s tough with these group sometimes, with the separation and differences between them. Overall, I don’t think our run was bad, it’s just super close here. It’s great to be in such a competitive series. When you are next to two guys that are literally fighting for the championship and you’re right with them, not transferring, it’s crazy! Today, we weren’t on the right end of it so we will work on it for tomorrow.”

PORTLAND STATS BEST START: 9th(2019) BEST FINISH: 16th(2021) NUMBER OF STARTS: 2 CAREER STATS SEASON: 9th STARTS: 95 POLES: 1 BEST FINISH: 2nd, Detroit 2016

OF NOTE: * With the field split in half for this afternoon’s qualifying session, Conor Daly was assigned to Round 1, Group 2. He managed to turn eight laps around the Portland International Raceway road course in the allotted time, with his last lap being his quickest. At the end of the 10-minute session, he was 10th overall and would not advance. He will start 20th in tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Portland. * Daly has two previous starts at Portland International Raceway. Despite never having driven a lap at the track prior to the 2019 NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend, he qualified solidly in the 9th position. Last year, he raced forward several times during the event and was on pace for a Top 10 finish. A wheel gun malfunction during his final pit stop cost him mere seconds, but translated to several positions on track. He charged forward once again, picking up six spots in the final 20 laps to finish 16th. * BitNile Holdings, Inc. is the primary partner of the No. 20 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal. BitNile is a diversified holding company that specializes in disruptive technologies, including cryptocurrency and innovations in the field of Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”). They focus on large-scale crypto mining with energy efficient, powerful operations located in North America and operate their own high-density data center. BitNile invests in technology platforms that provide crypto holders a vehicle to earn interest on their crypto assets.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM POWERED BY BITNILE CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered By BitNile Chevrolet, Qualified 12th: “Being third quick in our first group was really good. My goal was to get into the Fast 12 this weekend after the pace we showed in practice, and we did that, but you always want more! The whole feel of the car totally changed from one run to the other so we are looking into that. But the team did a great job to give me a car that was able to comfortably make it to the Top 12. I really feel we should have been close to the Fast 6 there, so it’s tough! We did have a pretty good qualifying and we know what we need to do tomorrow.”

PORTLAND STATS 2021 START: 25th 2021 FINISH: 17th NUMBER OF STARTS: 1 CAREER STATS SEASON: 3rd STARTS: 44 WINS: 1 POLES: 2

OF NOTE: * Rinus VeeKay’s Grand Prix of Portland race weekend began with two difficult practice sessions, but he showed the speed of the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered by BitNile Chevrolet in qualifying. His best lap in Round 1, Group 1 had him sitting 3rd on the time sheets and easily transferring to the second round. In Round 2, he was 12th at the checkered flag which will translate into his starting position for tomorrow.  * Though VeeKay has only competed in one NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, his history with ECR at the track goes back to the beginning of his Indy car career. In August of 2019, ECR selected VeeKay for an evaluation test at Portland. It was the first of two successful tests before he was named full-time driver of the team’s No. 21 Chevrolet prior to the 2020 season. In the 2021 Grand Prix of Portland, he gained an astonishing 16 positions on the opening lap, but strategy would not fall his way the rest of the day and he would have to settle for 17th place. While climbing the Road To Indy ranks, VeeKay earned four pole positions, one victory and three runner-up finishes in four races at Portland. * Through the generosity of BitNile Holdings, Inc. (BitNile), ECR’s Bitcoin Racing Team will continue to grow in 2022. VeeKay is back in the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered by BitNile Chevrolet, the same design he campaigned in this year’s Indy 500. Any individual who scans the unique QR code on the side of the No. 21 car and completes the registration will receive free Bitcoin from Earnity, a community-based crypto platform of which BitNile is a significant investor.

GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND PREVIEW

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 TRACK: Portland International Raceway LOCATION: Portland, Oregon, USA TRACK LAYOUT: 12-turn, 1.964-mile natural road course RACE LENGTH: 110 laps/216.04 miles PRACTICE:  Friday – 2:30-3:45 p.m. PT (Peacock Premium);  Saturday – 9-10 a.m. PT (Peacock Premium), 4:15-4:45 p.m. PT (Peacock Premium) QUALIFYING:  Saturday – 12:05-1:20 p.m. PT (Peacock Premium) RACE:  Sunday – 12:30 p.m. PT (NBC, 12 p.m. PT)

ED CARPENTER RACING

Only two races remain in the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, beginning with this weekend’s Grand Prix of Portland. Ed Carpenter Racing will return to the Pacific Northwest for the penultimate round at Portland International Raceway before heading down the coast to the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Rinus VeeKay is eager to return to Portland, a track where he had great success in the Road To Indy and his first experience in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car. Quick at many of the road courses this year, Conor Daly welcomes the opportunity to finish his 2022 season strong.

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet: “I’m excited to get out to the west coast and get back to racing! We’re really looking for a great finish to our season and ready to rebound from an unfortunate set of circumstances at our last race in St. Louis. There’s a lot of great history at Portland and it’s a great place to kick off these last two race weekends of the year.”

BIRTHDAY: December 11, 1990 HOMETOWN: Noblesville, IN RESIDENCE: Indianapolis, IN PORTLAND STATS BEST START: 9th (2019) BEST FINISH: 16th (2021) NUMBER OF STARTS: 2 CAREER STATS SEASON: 9th STARTS: 95 POLES: 1 BEST FINISH: 2nd, Detroit 2016

OF NOTE: * Conor Daly’s first season as full-time driver of ECR’s No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet has featured many solid results. Earlier this season, Daly advanced through all rounds of qualifying and started 4th in the first race of May, the GMR Grand Prix. Battling both wet and dry conditions during the race, he earned a Top 5 finish. Two weeks later, he paced the Indianapolis 500 field for several laps before finishing 6th. Additional strong results followed the next three rounds at Detroit, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Later in the summer, Daly qualified 3rd for both races of the doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. * Daly has two previous starts at Portland International Raceway. Despite never having driven a lap at the track prior to the 2019 NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend, he qualified solidly in the 9th position. Last year, he raced forward several times during the event and was on pace for a Top 10 finish. A wheel gun malfunction during his final pit stop cost him mere seconds, but translated to several positions on track. He charged forward once again, picking up six spots in the final 20 laps to finish 16th. * BitNile Holdings, Inc. is the primary partner of the No. 20 Chevrolet as part of a multi-year deal. BitNile is a diversified holding company that specializes in disruptive technologies, including cryptocurrency and innovations in the field of Decentralized Finance (“DeFi”). They focus on large-scale crypto mining with energy efficient, powerful operations located in North America and operate their own high-density data center. BitNile invests in technology platforms that provide crypto holders a vehicle to earn interest on their crypto assets.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM POWERED BY BITNILE CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered By BitNile Chevrolet: “I’m excited for Portland – Pointland! I’m going to call it Pointland because we want to get all of the points! Do you get the point? We’re still fighting for a Top 10 in the championship so we need some good results. To start these last two west coast races well is really important. We’ve been working very hard and we have found some things that will help our race set up. When I was in the Road to Indy, I clinched a championship there and won a few races. I really like the track, so we hope to have a great weekend with lots of cheers!”

BIRTHDAY: September 11, 2000 HOMETOWN: Hoofddorp, Netherlands RESIDENCE: Fort Lauderdale, FL PORTLAND STATS 2021 START: 25th 2021 FINISH: 17th NUMBER OF STARTS: 1 CAREER STATS SEASON: 3rd STARTS: 44 WINS: 1 POLES: 2

OF NOTE: * Rinus VeeKay has filled his third season as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver with many accomplishments, including recent 4th place finishes at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Race 1 of the doubleheader at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago. In early May, he won his second career pole position and earned his first podium of 2022 with a third place at Barber Motorsports Park. A few weeks later, he qualified on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 for the second year in a row and started third. With his qualifying performance, he was the fastest Chevrolet-powered driver in the 33-car field for the third consecutive year. At the most recent road course race at IMS, he started 8th, fell to 16th on the first lap, and battled back to a 6th-place finish.  * Though VeeKay has only competed in one NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, his history with ECR at the track goes back to the beginning of his Indy car career. In August of 2019, ECR selected VeeKay for an evaluation test at Portland. It was the first of two successful tests before he was named full-time driver of the team’s No. 21 Chevrolet prior to the 2020 season. In the 2021 Grand Prix of Portland, he gained an astonishing 16 positions on the opening lap, but strategy would not fall his way the rest of the day and he would have to settle for 17th place. While climbing the Road To Indy ranks, VeeKay earned four pole positions, one victory and three runner-up finishes in four races at Portland. * Through the generosity of BitNile Holdings, Inc. (BitNile), ECR’s Bitcoin Racing Team will continue to grow in 2022. VeeKay is back in the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team Powered by BitNile Chevrolet, the same design he campaigned in this year’s Indy 500. Any individual who scans the unique QR code on the side of the No. 21 car and completes the registration will receive free Bitcoin from Earnity, a community-based crypto platform of which BitNile is a significant investor.