Newgarden will not return to Ed Carpenter Racing
Josef Newgarden will have a new home in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
The coveted 25-year-old American driver, who finished a career-best fourth in this year's championship, informed Ed Carpenter Racing today that he will not be returning to the team for the 2017 season.
"While it's disappointing that Josef will not be returning, it's also not a total surprise after all of the speculation the past few weeks," team owner Ed Carpenter said. "I wish Josef the best in his future endeavors, but also remain focused on ECR's continued success. We are positioned well moving into 2017 and I have total confidence that we will continue to deliver the high level of performance we expect as a team."
Since entering the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2012, ECR has scored seven victories with three drivers, including a 1-2 finish in 2015 on the streets of Toronto with Newgarden and Luca Filippi.
Newgarden's three career wins came after joining forces with ECR in 2015. The 2011 Indy Lights champion moved up to the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2012 with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, which merged with ECR in 2015.
Carpenter added that ECR is evaluating all options for next season's driver lineup. Carpenter will continue to race the No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet in the six oval events on the 2017 schedule. ECR's remaining lineup will be announced at a later date.
Contact:
mkitchel@indycar.com
