The biggest story coming out of Milwaukee at the round just gone was that the two underdogs in the Verizon IndyCar Series are joining forces for next season.
Ed Carpenter Racing and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing have announced they are joining up to have a two pronged attack next season.
At present the combined outfit have three wins this season, with the Ed Carpenter element taking all of them – two with Mike Conway on the road courses and Ed Carpenter at Texas whereas Josef Newgarden has been taking consistent top ten finishes for the second half of the new team.
However, the biggest challenge for the new team – which will be called Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing – is which engine supplier they will be using next year. Carpenter uses Chevrolet power whilst Sarah Fisher uses Honda power.
Indeed it is yet to be confirmed who will drive for the two car outfit. At the moment the combination of Carpenter and Conway seems to be working for the two men who both only like their own desired disciplines. On the opposite side of the new garage – which will be based in Speedway, Indiana – Josef Newgarden has yet to sign a new deal amidst reports that he is interested in moving to sportscars and potentially the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
For Ed Carpenter the link up harks back to 2011 where he raced for the Sarah Fisher ran team before leaving at the end of the season to set up his own team.
“We had success together in 2011 and have always had a great relationship,” he said. “I look forward to getting started with the new team and adding to the success that each of our teams have had in the past.
“There will be a lot to do to bring the two teams together, but we feel that it is a great opportunity for all of us to grow and reach new heights of success.”
