Tag: ECR

Rossi Powers ECR to Top of Speed Charts at Phoenix Open Test 

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From IndyCar:

 AVONDALE, Arizona (Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026) – Alexander Rossi’s last oval victory in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES came in August 2018 at Pocono Raceway. There’s a strong chance that drought may end in 2026, based on the results of the second and final day of the Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway on Wednesday. Rossi led both sessions on the 1-mile oval, including the fastest overall lap

.SEE: Morning Session Results | Afternoon Session Results | Overall Test
Results

2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Rossi turned his best lap of 174.542 mph in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet during the afternoon session, which started 90 minutes late due to passing sprinkles. He also led this morning at 174.444.
“We got through everything we wanted, and when you can do that, it’s a good day,” Rossi said. “Christian’s (Rasmussen) car is also strong, so there’s nothing more I could ask for.”

All 25 drivers expected to compete at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 1 tested both days at Phoenix, which returns to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the first time since 2018 with the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday, March 7

.“We have a good baseline, and it feels like we are on top of it,” Rossi said of ECR’s Phoenix setups.

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden ended up second overall at 174.362 in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet with his best lap this morning. Newgarden was second fastest Tuesday on the opening day of the test at 172.201 behind new teammate David Malukas, as 24 drivers posted faster laps today than Tuesday.

Reigning and four-time series champion Alex Palou was third overall at 174.220 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. ECR landed both of its drivers in the top four overall, as 2025 Milwaukee Mile winner Christian Rasmussen followed Palou at 173.924, good for second in the afternoon session behind teammate Rossi.

Malukas continued his strong oval form in his early days with Team Penske, rounding out the top five overall at 173.759 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.Formula One veteran Mick Schumacher continued to make steps in his oval racing education by ending up the fastest rookie over both days. He turned a top lap of 171.096 mph in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda today to lead the three rookies in the field and end up 18th overall. Schumacher gained more than 7 mph today, as his top lap Tuesday was 164.006.

There was just one incident today. 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson was unhurt 49 minutes into the afternoon session when his No. 28 Delaware Life Honda fielded by Andretti Global did a quarter-spin in Turn 4 and hit the SAFER Barrier with the rear of the car.
Over two days of testing, 25 drivers turned 4,853 laps. Series veteran
Will Power was the workhorse, turning a test-high 259 laps – more than the race distance March 7 – as he settles into Andretti Global after 16 full-time seasons with Team Penske.

ECR FOCUSES ON ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH AS THE TEAM ENTERS SEASON FIFTEEN

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Editor’s note: ECR also confirmed that Ed Carpenter will drive a third car in the Indianapolis 500.

From ECR;

Team Development at the Forefront of ECR’s Preparation for Its Fifteenth NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season
(INDIANAPOLIS) January 21, 2026 – ECR announced today a series of organizational improvements and team growth ahead of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The Indianapolis-based race team heads into Season Fifteen on the heels of its best campaign in several years, highlighted by Christian Rasmussen’s victory at the Milwaukee Mile. ECR will strive for more in 2026 with an expanded leadership team, a more robust engineering department, and an increased emphasis on pit lane performance.
Ted GelovOwner and Chairman Ted Gelov joined the team prior to the 2025 season and continues to guide the organization through a rejuvenated era. Co-owner Ed Carpenter also serves as CEO, making him the only individual in the 33-car Indianapolis 500 field who handles both the responsibility of driving the racecar while owning and operating his own team.Ed Carpenter
Tim BroylesFrom ECR’s inception, the team has operated under the direction of Team President Tim Broyles. He became the organization’s first employee in late 2011 and shaped the program into a race-winning operation within its first year. Broyles is one of the most experienced individuals in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock, now in his 38th year of working in professional motorsports.
Derek DavidsonJoining the competition management side of the team is Derek Davidson, who works alongside Broyles as Team Manager. Davidson was an accomplished USAC racer before beginning his INDYCAR career as a fabricator, mechanic and Crew Chief. Over the past 20 years, Davidson worked his way up through the ranks of race team operations. He spent the last decade in team management roles before joining ECR’s leadership.
Matt BarnesAfter serving as Race Engineer for one of ECR’s two entries and most recently as Chief Engineer, Matt Barnes will step into the role of Vice President of Competition. Drawing on 23 years of expertise, he now oversees all aspects of the engineering department. Like Broyles, Barnes joined ECR before the team’s first season and is one of the 10 original hires still with the organization.
With Barnes assuming management of the engineering department, Quentin Montigaud has been promoted to Race Engineer of Alexander Rossi’s No. 20 Chevrolet. Montigaud, from France, began his engineering career nine years ago in Formula E. He has spent his entire INDYCAR career with ECR and was most recently Performance Engineer on the No. 20.
As Montigaud begins his first season as Race Engineer, he will have the guidance of both Barnes and Pete Craik. Craik will remain Race Engineer of the No. 21, a role he has held since Rasmussen’s first race at ECR. The Australian began his career in Supercars before moving to the United States and has spent 19 years engineering Supercars, INDYCAR, and NASCAR. He has led of one of ECR’s two entries as Race Engineer for the past seven years.
ECR’s engineering department gains additional depth with the addition of Robert Gue. A 23-year motorsports engineering veteran, Gue will lead development efforts for the team as Senior Project Engineer.
With an increased emphasis on pit lane performance, ECR has added a full-time Strength and Conditioning Coach. Before joining ECR, Chase Campbell worked with collegiate and professional athletes for 10 years. He leads routine workouts for the No. 20 and No. 21 crews, as well as open lift sessions for all team members. Campbell also oversees daily pit stop practice for both crews and serves as the team’s Pit Stop Coach. Additionally, he has taken on the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach for Carpenter, Rasmussen, and Rossi.
Rasmussen and Rossi will be on track for the first time this year at Phoenix International Raceway on February 17-18 as part of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Open Test. The 2026 season begins in the Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sunday, March 1.
About ECRECR (Ed Carpenter Racing) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team is led by owners Ted Gelov and Ed Carpenter and has proven its versatility by collecting wins across every type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals, and speedways. For the 2026 season, Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi will return as driver of the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet, while new NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner Christian Rasmussen remains in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet. Carpenter, a three-time pole winner of the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014, and 2018), will round out ECR’s three-car lineup for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. More information on ECR can be found at www.ecrindy.com.