Catchfence

SPARTA, KY (October 2, 2011) - Tears of joy were abundant in the 67 pit stall as Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) driver Ed Carpenter edged championship front-runner Dario Franchitti by a nose on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon at Kentucky Speedway to claim his, as well as SFR’s, first IZOD IndyCar® Series victory.

“It felt way better than I ever thought it was going to feel,” said an elated Ed Carpenter. “Dario raced me hard and clean. I knew we had the better car but in the second or third stint.”

Carpenter rolled off the grid from the fourth starting position on Sunday, in front of a sea of family and friends, and remained in the top-five throughout most of the race. “It was a weird race because my visor was falling off in one of the stints and we had all sorts of stuff going on. However, I wasn’t going to let a visor coming off stop me from winning the race. I drove 15 or 20 laps with one hand holding on to my helmet til our next pit stop.”

The 30-year old husband and father of two was thankful he had one Honda overtake assist (push-to-pass) left on the final lap. He and Franchitti battled for nearly 21 laps as the Kentucky Indy 300 came to a close, separated by no more than two-tenths of a second. “I’m just so proud to be a part of this team and this organization. I can’t thank Andy and Sarah enough, and I’m especially thankful to my wife for supporting me all these years to get to this point; it’s taken a long time to get our first win, but that’s fine with me. It’s just an awesome day for Dollar General, Angie’s List, Fuzzy’s Vodka and everyone.”

The victory was also the first for the Sarah Fisher Racing organization, and after missing the previous three races with the birth of her and husband Andy O’Gara’s daughter (Zoey Marie), Sarah was back to witness history. “Just to see Ed drive his tail off is just so amazing,” said a teary-eyed Fisher. “We figured out that next year, Dollar General is not coming back, so maybe they’ll change their mind now. But, you know certainly it was just a great weekend. The guys all worked their tails off, and I haven’t been to the shop in three weeks. My baby girl is obviously good luck…I’m just so happy to be here.”

Carpenter’s 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues Sunday, October 16th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition (HD) at 3 p.m. (EST) on ABC. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisherracing.com.

About Ed Carpenter:

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003.Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing Press Release