Ed Carpenter

Carpenter and the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka special ran in the top-five for much of the race with a podium finish in sight until the team attempted its third pit stop on lap 139 of 200. A setup issue with the fuel rig and hose did not allow fuel to enter the car during that stop.

After a lap back on track, the team realized the problem and quickly brought Carpenter in for more fuel. The car ran out of fuel and stalled as Carpenter brought the car into the pits for refueling. Upon leaving the pits again on lap 141 Carpenter was given an “insult” to the sustained “injury” and slapped with a drive-thru penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit.

Carpenter served his penalty on lap 145 and was relegated to the 19th position; losing four laps to the leaders. Eventually, Carpenter parked the car on lap 177 so as not to ruin the race for his fellow competitors. He is credited with a 20th place finish.

The disappointment in the Vision Racing / Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Pits was palpable and will certainly be used as motivation heading into next Saturday’s race at Kentucky Speedway. Carpenter felt like he had the car to beat in tonight’s PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 and it is that car that he will take to Kentucky’s 1.5-mile oval.

It was Carpenter and the Vision Racing No. 20 car that led 34 laps and finished in second place by 0.0162 of a second at Kentucky last year. He now knows he has the car to not just repeat that performance, but best it by one position.

Meanwhile, team partner, Panther Racing and driver Dan Wheldon ran a magnificent race and earned a second place finish with the No. 4 National Guard Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Panther Racing driver and 2005 and 2006 Chicagoland Speedway winner, Dan Wheldon, started seventh, led 14 laps and finished second behind now IZOD IndyCar Series points leader, Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, and ahead of third place driver Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport. The top-three finishing order was coincidentally the same as this year’s Indianapolis 500.

IZOD IndyCar Series racing resumes in one week under the lights of Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 4th.

Post Race Quotes: (Aug. 28, 2010)

Qualifying / Starting Position: 11th

Finishing Position: 20th

On race:

“I just had a really good car that was a lot like Indianapolis and Kentucky last year. It was handling so well that I could put it anywhere. I seemed to be really good on the bottom where a lot of guys were pushing up. I could go high or low and was able to work my way to the front pretty quickly early in the race. The crew did a great job preparing the car but we lost spots on pit stops but got the No. 20 Fuzzy Vodka car back up to the front each time. We saved fuel, got really good mileage and lead some laps. It was a lot of fun but then really disappointing. ”

“It’s pretty frustrating that the two times we’ve run this No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka car, I feel like we should have finished on a podium. We had a fuel issue again; a different problem but the same result. I have to thank the Panther Racing team. They did a great job giving me a super fast car. I’m really happy for Dan Wheldon and his Panther crew and their great second place result. They were just as fast and we can take solace in the fact we too could have been up there battling for the win with him. We said coming in here that we were going to have a chance to win and we did. If we can go without having a fuel issue again, I’m pretty sure we can finish on the podium. I’m feeling very confident for Kentucky and Homestead. We’re not points racing. We’re racing for a win.”

About Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka:

Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka is a grain-based vodka and is a product of Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC located in Sellersburg, Indiana. Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC is dedicated to providing responsible golfers and non-golfers with a refreshing vodka drink to enhance their enjoyment of the moment. Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka recently received the prestigious gold medal rating from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, and is currently available in twelve states. www.fuz.com / www.fuzzyvodka.com

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team competed full-time in the IZOD IndyCar Series for five seasons from 2005-2009 and began its sixth season of IZOD IndyCar Series competition with an entry in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 as a collaboration with Panther Racing. The two teams will also run together at Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and in the 2010 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In 2009 IZOD IndyCar competition, Vision Racing scored two hard-earned 2nd place podium finishes and posted their best career start (4th), seven top-10 results and their highest total of laps led, laps competed and races completed in a season. Driver Ed Carpenter has finished 5th and 8th in the previous two Indianapolis 500s. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Both Carpenter and the respective Panther Racing crews made several changes to the Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka special throughout Sunday afternoon as damper and setup testing were the priority of the day.

The final speed charts listed Carpenter in the 23rd spot with a top lap of 221.535 mph.

Carpenter is preparing for his seventh Indianapolis 500-mile race and sixth with Vision Racing. Last season Carpenter started 17th and drove to eighth place finish. His best drive at Indianapolis came in 2008 when he started 10th, drove his first career IndyCar Series leader laps (3) and finished fifth.

Carpenter’s teammate and 2005 Indianapolis 500 champion, Dan Wheldon of Panther Racing, had another respectable day on the speed charts turning in the seventh fastest lap of the day with an average speed of 224.583 mph. However, the National Guard No. 4 Honda powered Dallara suffered some damage after a late afternoon brush with the Turn 4 wall.

Damage to the National Guard car was minimal and Wheldon was cleared and released from the infield care center. Before the crash, Wheldon completed 27 total laps.

IZOD IndyCar Series action will resume Monday at noon for practice and will conclude at 6 p.m.

Want more Vision Racing news, photos and tidbits from the track? Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/visionracing; follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/visionracing and; read all about us on Charles West’s daily INDY 500 blog: www.visionracing.com/fans.

The Indianapolis 500 will air live on Sunday, May 30th at noon ET on ABC, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

Practice Results and Quotes: (May 16, 2010)

Top Speed in Practice: 221.535 mph

Top Time in Practice: 40.6256

Number of Laps in Practice: 23

Overall Rank in Practice: 23rd on speed chart

Best Lap This Month: 224.592 (May 15, 2010)

On practice:

“It was a good day. Nothing flashy and I don’t know where we ended up on the speed charts. Like yesterday we weren’t really concerned with speed and you really can’t read that much into the charts yet because we tested a lot of different things. So I feel pretty good about it as it was productive. There were a couple of things that I would’ve liked to have accomplished that we didn’t get to, but overall it was another good day. We just have to continue to stick to the game plan and get done what we need to get done each day and start finding speed again towards the end of the week.

Dan Wheldon – No. 4 National Guard/Panther Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Top Speed in Practice: 224.583 mph

Top Time in Practice: 40.0742

Number of Laps in Practice: 27

Overall Rank in Practice: 7th on speed chart

Best Lap This Month: 225.609 (May 15, 2010)

On practice:

“I’m actually not 100% sure what happened, we’ll have to look at the data and see. This is obviously not what you want to happen on your second day at Indianapolis, but the team is really well prepared for this month and as you can see the National Guard Panther Racing car is really quick.

(On the foot)

It’s just bruised. I whacked it pretty good on the side of the tub. It’s one of those things around here; sometimes you crash really hard and you don’t get knocked up at all, and sometimes it’s those little hits and it bangs your foot against the side of the tub. Nothing big.

(How do you bounce back from this?)

I’m not concerned; we obviously had a great baseline to start with. We’ve got plenty of time, the team will bounce back really quickly – we’ve got two great crews here, and unfortunately we’ve created a bit of work for them, but if anybody can rebound it’s the National Guard boys without a shadow of a doubt.”

About the Indianapolis 500:

The 200 lap/500 mile Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will air live on Sunday, May 30th at noon ET on ABC, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka:

Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka is a grain-based vodka and is a product of Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC located in Sellersburg, Indiana. Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC is dedicated to providing responsible golfers and non-golfers with a refreshing vodka drink to enhance their enjoyment of the moment. Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka recently received the prestigious gold medal rating from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, and is currently available in twelve states. www.fuz.com / www.fuzzyvodka.com

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team competed full-time in the IZOD IndyCar Series for five seasons from 2005-2009 and is entering its sixth season of IZOD IndyCar Series competition with an entry in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 as a collaboration with Panther Racing.

In 2009 IZOD IndyCar competition, Vision Racing scored two hard-earned 2nd place podium finishes and posted their best career start (4th), seven top-10 results and their highest total of laps led, laps competed and races completed in a season. Driver Ed Carpenter has finished 5th and 8th in the previous two Indianapolis 500s. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Carpenter’s first laps Saturday afternoon in the team’s Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka sponsored No. 20 Panther Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone machine signaled the culmination of months of efforts for both team and driver to get back on track. The team suspended operations in January due to lack of funding, but was able to secure sponsorship and support to make its 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series at the upcoming Indianapolis 500, thanks to a collaborative effort with the Panther and the addition of Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka to the livery.

Taking advantage of the two hour open practice time on the 2.5-mile oval for seasoned drivers, Carpenter was seventh fastest with a top lap of 224.592 mph, after putting in 18 total laps. The track time allowed Carpenter and his new crew to shake down the car and begin to experiment with optimal setups for next Saturday’s “Pole Day” qualifying.

Carpenter is preparing for his seventh Indianapolis 500-mile race and sixth with Vision Racing. Last season Carpenter started 17th and drove to eighth place finish. His best drive at Indianapolis came in 2008 when he started 10th, drove his first career IndyCar Series leader laps (3) and finished fifth.

Meanwhile, Carpenter’s teammate for the month, Dan Wheldon of Panther Racing, drove the National Guard No. 4 Honda powered Dallara to the fourth fastest lap of the day with a speed of 225.609 mph. The 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner completed nine laps on the afternoon.

IZOD IndyCar Series action will resume Sunday at noon for practice.

The Indianapolis 500 will air live on Sunday, May 30th at noon ET on ABC, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

Practice Results and Quotes: (May 15, 2010)

Top Speed in Practice: 224.592 mph

Top Time in Practice: 40.0762

Number of Laps in Practice: 18

Overall Rank in Practice: 7th on speed chart

On practice:

“We didn’t put a lot of emphasis on speed today because it was all about shaking down the car, getting a baseline set up without focusing on lap times, and getting comfortable with the car and team. The team part is already there because I have worked with David (Cripps) and Al (Bodey) and Nathan (O’Rourke) before and the trust is already there making it easier to communicate and go out there with a good sense of confidence. Today everything went according to the plan we had laid out for ourselves.

We’ll focus on the race car set up at the start of the week and move towards putting more speed into it for qualifying as the week progresses. It’s just so nice to be back on track. This Indy 500 race will actually be my 100th IndyCar series race and I am so very grateful for the opportunity thanks to the partnership we have with Panther this month and having Fuzzy Zoeller step in with his Vodka sponsorship as the last piece of the puzzle.”

Dan Wheldon – No. 4 National Guard / Panther Racing Dallara / Honda /Firestone

Top Speed in Practice: 225.609 mph

Top Time in Practice: 39.8921

Number of Laps in Practice: 9

Overall Rank in Practice: 4th on speed chart

About the Indianapolis 500:

The 200 lap/500 mile Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will air live on Sunday, May 30th at noon ET on ABC, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka:

Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka is a grain-based vodka and is a product of Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC located in Sellersburg, Indiana. Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC is dedicated to providing responsible golfers and non-golfers with a refreshing vodka drink to enhance their enjoyment of the moment. Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka recently received the prestigious gold medal rating from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, and is currently available in twelve states. www.fuz.com / www.fuzzyvodka.com

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team competed full-time in the IZOD IndyCar Series for five seasons from 2005-2009 and is entering its sixth season of IZOD IndyCar Series competition with an entry in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 as a collaboration with Panther Racing.

In 2009 IZOD IndyCar competition, Vision Racing scored two hard-earned 2nd place podium finishes and posted their best career start (4th), seven top-10 results and their highest total of laps led, laps competed and races completed in a season. Driver Ed Carpenter has finished 5th and 8th in the previous two Indianapolis 500s. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

“I am very pleased that we have this opportunity to partner with an excellent organization. This collaboration with Panther Racing will allow two teams that want nothing else but to compete and strive for success in the upcoming Indianapolis 500 the opportunity to do so to the best of their abilities,” explains Vision Racing Team Owner, Tony George. “With this partnership between teams and drivers, we will also be able to maximize the potential of both parties and field what I am sure will be a very formidable two-car effort. There are close personal and professional relationships within our two organizations that should allow us to put forth a cohesive effort we will all be proud of and have high expectations for achieving results.”

“We looked at a lot of opportunities for the Month of May, and as strong as Vision Racing has run the last few years, we felt like partnering with them made a lot of sense for us,” expressed John Barnes, CEO and co-owner of Panther Racing. “I feel that Ed (Carpenter) is a threat to win at any race he runs, and he’s proved that to this league in the last two or three years. His addition to the National Guard team along with Dan Wheldon is going to make our entire team stronger. I honestly hope this isn’t a one-and-done deal, and we very much look forward to the opportunity of expanding this and running more IZOD IndyCar Series races together this season.”

Six-year IndyCar Series veteran Ed Carpenter will make a return behind the wheel of the No. 20 that he has driven since Vision Racing’s inception in 2005. The 29-year-old Indianapolis resident finished the 2009 season by earning his career best finish of second, matched his career best start of fourth, led 35 laps and drove to six top-ten finishes.

“I am very excited not only to be returning to the Indianapolis 500, but also working with Panther Racing,” says Ed Carpenter who finished fifth and eighth in the last two runnings of the Indianapolis 500. “John Barnes has been a family friend for a long time, and I very grateful for this opportunity. I feel that with my experience, Vision Racing’s experience and Panther Racing’s experience and success at Indianapolis that we will be a very competitive duo. It has been very hard watching from the sidelines so far this season, and I am very motivated to compete for my first win.”

Panther Racing, who boasts 15 IndyCar Series wins and two league championships, is currently ninth in the championship standings with driver Dan Wheldon after the first two races of the 2010 season. The team has also finished runner-up in each of the last two Indianapolis 500s; in 2008 with Vitor Meira and again last year with Wheldon.

“I believe the addition of Ed Carpenter and Vision Racing to the National Guard Panther Racing group is phenomenal,” added Wheldon who earned three top-five and nine top-10 finishes last season. “Ed’s always been very quick, especially around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I’m very much looking forward to being able to have a teammate of his caliber. I know we’ll work together well and be able to move the team forward, which will give us both a chance to win the Indianapolis 500. And it’s also very positive to have Vision’s involvement in the Panther program. I’m excited about being able to use some of their expertise and it’s great to see them back on track – they’re a team that was very close to their first IZOD IndyCar Series victory in Kentucky last year, and this partnership will get all of us one step close to victory lane.”

Vision Racing returns to IZOD IndyCar Series competition for the Indianapolis 500 as a result of this partnership with Panther Racing after suspending racing operations on January, 28, 2010 until such time that sponsorship could be secured.

“It has been an exceptionally long and extended off-season for Vision Racing that has recently had us turning our attention solely to the Indianapolis 500. The challenge of putting together a sponsorship package to enable Vision Racing to run the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule proved to be much more difficult than anticipated but our intention is to be back competing full-time in the future,” explained George. “Taking part in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 has been a priority and while we have yet to solidify a sponsorship lineup for the No. 20 Panther-Vision entry for Indy, it is our expectation to be able to make some sponsorship announcements in the coming weeks.”

The 2010 Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, May 30.

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competed full-time in the IndyCar Series for five seasons from 2005-2009 and is entering its sixth season of IndyCar Series competition with an entry in the 2010 Indianapolis 500. In 2009 IndyCar competition, Vision Racing scored two hard-earned 2nd place podium finishes and posted their best career start (4th), seven top-10 results and their highest total of laps led, laps competed and races completed in a season. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Homestead-Miami Speedway

The $40 package—saluting the Dempsey Racing No. 40 and No. 41 Mazda RX-8 GT entries—is available now by calling (866) 409-RACE or by visiting THEChampionshipTrack.com. The package includes:

• Ticket to the March 6 “Grand Prix of Miami” at Homestead-Miami Speedway

• Exclusive group meet-and-greet on race day with competing Dempsey Racing drivers

• $20 donation to Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope & Healing and Seattle Children’s Hospita

• Paddock Pass providing exclusive access to driver garages

• Dempsey Racing-autographed team hero card

Dempsey Racing heads to the March 6 “Grand Prix of Miami” on the heels of a sixth-place finish in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Dempsey Racing team, anchored by Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster, sits just 10 points back of first place in Grand-Am’s GT Championship standings.

“Dempsey Racing enjoys coming to Miami each year, and we look forward to another competitive run,” said team-principal Dempsey. “I really enjoy the track, and we are glad as a team to support not just the Dempsey Center but also the Seattle Children’s Hospital with this unique ticket package for Miami fans.”

“He’s known world-wide for his on-screen achievements, but Patrick Dempsey has shown the racing world that he can drive,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer. “And now he and Joe are using that platform to make an impact on two deserving charitable causes. We’re thrilled to host Dempsey Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 6 in an effort so noble.”

The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope & Healing aims to provide the highest quality of education, support and wellness services to enhance the quality of life of individuals, families and communities touched by cancer. Dempsey’s mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997 and successfully treated, but the disease returned twice. She underwent a second and third treatment, and today enjoys a healthy life.

“It’s no secret that cancer has touched my family,” said Dempsey, who funds the center alongside donor contributions. “I found out how important it is to have access to good, reliable resources to help the patient, family members and caretakers. After this experience, I knew I wanted to make a difference, to give back to the community that helped my family through its journey.”

“Behind the wheel, Patrick has come a long ways from his tractor days,” said Homestead-Miami President Becherer, referencing Dempsey’s role as the lovelorn teen in his 1987 film “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

“To see the success he’s having with Dempsey Racing is worth the admission at Homestead-Miami March 6. To aid the Dempsey Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital, well, that’s a bit more difficult to tag with a price.”

Kids FREE:

Homestead-Miami Speedway is the only venue ever to host all of North America’s premier motorsports Championships, and we’re doing it again in 2010 as THE Championship Track will be the site of both the Izod IndyCar Championship (Oct. 1-2) and NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend (Nov. 19-21), as well as the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series on March 6. Kids 12 & under are FREE to six of the seven races. For tickets and more info: (866) 409-RACE or THEChampionshipTrack.com.

- Homestead-Miami Speedway, Press Release

SPEED TV

On Jan. 15 & 16, SPEED will be live from Daytona Beach as NASCAR drivers kick off the racing season with NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest, with Daytona 500 winners Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. among the drivers scheduled to appear.

A few days later, SPEED will take its cameras back across the country to Scottsdale, Ariz., for the 39th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, with 39 hours of live coverage over six days beginning Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. An original 1963 Shelby Cobra and the first production 1966 GT350 are among the cars scheduled to move across the block.

And to close out the month, SPEED will offer live coverage of the famed Rolex 24 at Daytona, one of the world’s premiere sports car endurance races. Coverage begins Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. ET and continues on Sunday at 7 a.m. ET. Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, IndyCar champ Dario Franchitti and popular actor Patrick Dempsey are among the names in a field loaded with star power.

Following Saturday’s coverage of the Rolex 24, SPEED will take viewers to live coverage of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, a true showcase of the best short-track racers in the country.

SPEED™, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in more than 79 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority

- SPEED TV, Press Release

Ed Carpenter

Carpenter matched his IndyCar Series career-best start by taking the green flag in the fourth position and even moved as high as third in the race by getting around Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske on the opening lap. Briscoe returned the move on lap four and from there the car’s handling capabilities and maneuverability deteriorated quickly. By lap 42 Carpenter had fallen all the way back to the 16th position, citing a severe understeer and overall lack of grip.

Making an early stop on lap 48, Carpenter’s crew quickly gave him four tires, a full tank of ethanol and one and a half turns of front wing. The change in wing configuration gave Carpenter a bit more stability, but the setup still was not conducive to regaining positions on the track. In each of the next two pit stops, Carpenter would continue to receive front wing adjustments as well.

Running much of the race between the 13th and 15th positions, Carpenter persevered and took advantage of others’ mistakes and missed strategies to finish in the 12th position.

Carpenter also ended up 12th in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings with 321 total points (395 behind the leader). Overall this year, Carpenter earned his career best finish of second, matched his career best start of fourth, lead 35 laps and drove to six top-ten finishes.

The IndyCar Series Championship went to the race winner, Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. He secured the championship by 11 points over teammate Scott Dixon and by 12 points over challenger Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske. Briscoe and Dixon also rounded out the podium for today’s race, respectively, and were followed by Tony Kanaan of Andretti Green Racing in fourth and Helio Castroneves of Team Penske in fifth.

Post Race Quotes: (Oct. 10, 2009)

Ed Carpenter - No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Finishing Position: 12th

Qualifying Position: 4th

On Race:

“At the start I went by (Ryan) Briscoe and I thought it was going to be a great race, but the tires went away and by lap three I was almost out of adjustments in trying to get the car’s understeer under control and then I had to deal with some oversteer and it was just a shame. It’s not the race that I wanted to end my season on and it was a heck of a lot like the races earlier in the season before the aero changes. Plus the race was all green so it couldn’t have been too excited to watch, but congratulations to Dario (Franchitti). He outlasted those other guys and got it done. So congrats to him. It’s just not a good way for us to finish the season. It makes for a long off-season not knowing when we are going to be able to get on track again to try and sort all of this out.”

On Season:

“Kentucky was an obviously highlight for us. At Indianapolis we didn’t have a great car, but I felt like we had a good finish there for the car that we had in the race. But to be honest, outside of Kentucky, nothing else this season went the way I wanted it to go.

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of 2009. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Starting from the 12th position, Carpenter made quick work of moving through the field as he maneuvered to the fifth position by lap seven and made his way to fourth by lap 17. He ran as high as third in the race on a restart on lap 101. From there, Carpenter ran a strong clean race, his crew gave him efficient pit stops and he remained in the top-ten for the remainder of the event.

In the final stint however, Carpenter found himself behind a three-wide pack, running in the eighth spot with no way to get by. Thanks to a yellow flag on lap 184 as a result of Helio Castroneves making contact with the wall, the field regrouped and lined up for a restart, allowing Carpenter to make a final push to the front.

Taking the green flag for the final time on the lap 191 restart, Carpenter went from seventh and up to sixth on lap 195, but then fell as far as ninth when the white flag appeared on lap 199. In the remaining mile and a half, Carpenter made up three positions to take sixth overall.

Carpenter earned his sixth top-ten of the season and remains 12th in the IndyCar Series championship point standings with 284 total points (264 points behind the leader).

IndyCar Series championship point leader Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske won the Saturday night race by just 0.0077 of a second over Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Rounding out the top-five in the race were Mario Moraes, Dario Franchitti and Graham Rahal.

Watch the IndyCar Series as they continue the oval racing at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan for the Indy Japan 300. The race broadcast will air live from on Sept. 19th at 10:30 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS.

Ed Carpenter

Ed Carpenter - No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Finishing Position: 6th

Qualifying Position: 12th

On race:

The balance had just kind of gotten more understeer late in the race. It kind of seemed like we were better in the first half of the race and then others got better in the second half of the race than what we did. I don’t know. We still had a good car at the end, but we just kept getting land-locked with guys running two and three-wide and then I would be sitting there with nowhere to go. I would rather be able to race like that, but it gets frustrating at times just because you have a good car and you get held back.

The last lap was interesting because we started in ninth and got back up to sixth so it was still a good day. Obviously, we wanted to be on the podium again, so that’s frustrating, but points-wise it was probably good with (Hideki) Mutoh dropping out and (Dan) Wheldon having trouble. Those are some of the guys that are in front of us so hopefully we closed up a little bit with some of those guys in points. I’ve got two more ovals now to try and do better.

(on the finish) It was pretty close. I was deciding whether or not I was going to lift ahead of the line if guys started touching, but it all worked out. It was close. It’s a good thing we have timing and scoring, because in the old days they did the scoring by hand and if that was still the case, we would be trying to decide that finish a couple of days later.

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of 2009. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Ed Carpenter

The 11th place drive gives Carpenter his best finish at Infineon. Carpenter has made five attempts at Infineon’s natural terrain road course, all with Vision Racing, and has been running at the finish in each affair.

After qualifying in the 21st spot, Carpenter actually started 20th in Sunday’s event due to a last minute tire change for fellow competitor Justin Wilson. After a first-lap incident which involved eight cars, Carpenter jumped up to the 11th spot and ran between there and the 16th position for the remainder of the race.

After a full course caution in the waning laps for a slide off by Helio Castroneves, Carpenter restarted the race on lap 71 in the 14th spot. He made a pass on Richard Antinucci and took advantage of an incident involving Scott Dixon and Marco Andretti on the final lap, to move up to the 12th position and finish on the lead lap at the checkered flag. Carpenter was awarded another position for an 11th place result after Andretti was penalized for avoidable contact. Carpenter made just two pit stops and overcame fading brakes to soldier on to his fifth consecutive running finish at Infineon.

The perseverance shown in Sunday’s race by Carpenter allowed him to move up a spot and back into the 12th position in the IndyCar Series championship point standings. He now has 258 total points after 14 races (239 points behind the leader) and he’s eagerly eyeing next weekend’s 1.5-mile oval affair at Chicagoland Speedway. At the most recent 1.5-mile oval race, earlier this month at Kentucky Speedway, Carpenter led 34-laps and earned a career-best finish of second place by just 0.0162 seconds behind race winner Ryan Briscoe.

Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing won today’s race from the pole and put himself in just four points behind points leader and second place finisher Briscoe of Team Penske, who has 497 total points. Scott Dixon falls to third in points. Rounding out the top-five in the race were Mike Conway, Mario Moraes, and Hideki Mutoh.

Watch the IndyCar Series next weekend as they return to oval racing at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway for the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300. The race broadcast will air live from Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night, Aug. 29th at 9 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS.

Post Race Quotes: (Aug. 23, 2009)

Ed Carpenter – No. 20 William Rast/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone
Finishing Position: 11th

Qualifying Position: 21st (started race from 20th due to tire change by competitor)

On race:
(On the first lap mayhem) “You couldn’t really seem much. There were cars everywhere and the further you went, the more cars you saw go off course. I was really surprised it didn’t go yellow. I drove through like it was under yellow until I realized it was still green and started passing people. It was a little hectic. That made the race interesting from the start putting (Scott) Dixon behind and putting guys like me further ahead. There at the end, I was starting to struggle as I was losing the breaks and flat spotted the tires. The last half of the stint I was just limping around and couldn’t really push the guys in front of me. I feel like we took a step in the right direction. We made some changes after the morning warm-up but didn’t really fix the problems we were having out there. I wish we had had a little better car today so we could have made it into the top-ten.”

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of 2009. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Carpenter has been running at the finish in all four previous attempts at Infineon Raceway. However, he is still looking for his first top-ten finish there. In his first attempt at Infineon Raceway in 2005, Carpenter started 20th and finished 15th with Vision Racing. In 2006 season he started 16th and finished 12th, in 2007 he started the race from the 14th spot, ran as high as 12th and ultimately finished 13th, and last year he started and finished in the 23rd position.

Most recently at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Carpenter started from the 21st spot, drove as high as 13th in the event and finished 17th. Unfortunately, Carpenter fell one spot to 14th in the IndyCar Series championship point standings with 239 total points after 13 races (221 points behind the leader).

Carpenter and Vision Racing will run the William Rast branded livery on the No. 20 machine in tomorrow’s race which was most recently run by Carpenter during the Canadian swing through Toronto and Edmonton. This time the No. 20 William Rast Dallara/Honda/Firestone machine will ride in the sponsor’s home state. William Rast, a People’s Liberation subsidiary known for its stylish high-end denim, based in Los Angeles, Calif. and the premium lifestyle brand with emphasis on stylish denim, has been a mainstay on the Vision Racing body work all season. This weekend, Carpenter’s car will feature a grey matte finish, day-glow orange accents and of course, William Rast branding.

Overall, The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be Vision Racing’s fifth trip to Infineon Raceway. The team’s best finish at Infineon came in 2007 season when Tomas Scheckter finished eighth.

IndyCar practice resumes again tomorrow morning at 10:15 a.m. local time for a thirty minute session before the race beings at 2 p.m./5 p.m. (ET), live on VERSUS TV.

Qualifying and Practice Results and Quotes: (Aug. 22 2009)

Ed Carpenter – No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Qualifying Position: 21st

Qualifying Speed: 105.964 mph

Qualifying Time: 1:18.2413

Top Speed in Practice: 104.500 mph

Top Time in Practice: 1:19.3378

Overall Rank in Practice: 21st on speed chart

Number of Laps in Practice: 27

Ed Carpenter

“Qualifying did not go very well for us. We put our “reds” (Firestone Firehawk red-walled tires) on and Milka (Duno) was up in front of us so we let her go and even though we let her build a 20-second gap, that’s still not enough for her so I caught her on the second lap and then once I got clear of her then (Mario) Moraes came out of the pits and I was behind him for two laps, so we wasted a lot of time getting stuck behind people. As a result we probably missed the best lap for our tires and I ended up getting out of rhythm in the session. I was hoping for much better than that, but it is what it is so we’ll just try and improve upon it tomorrow.”

About the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma:

The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway air live on Sunday, Aug. 23rd at 5:00 p.m. ET on VERSUS, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for 2009. In the past calendar year, the team has scored nine top-ten finishes and five additional top-five finishes including a fifth place finish in the Indianapolis 500 by Ed Carpenter and a second place run by Ryan Hunter-Reay on the streets of St. Petersburg in the 2009 season opener. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Infineon Raceway

- TAKING THE VISION TO INFINEON: The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be Vision Racing’s fifth trip to Infineon Raceway. The team’s best finish at Infineon came in 2007 season when Tomas Scheckter finished eighth. The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be the team’s 80th IndyCar Series event since their first season in 2005.

- WILLIAM RAST RETURNS: Vision Racing is bringing back the William Rast branded livery on the No. 20 machine which as most recently run by Carpenter during the Canadian swing through Toronto and Edmonton. This time the No. 20 William Rast Dallara/Honda/Firestone machine will ride in the sponsor’s home state. William Rast, a People’s Liberation subsidiary known for its stylish high-end denim, based in Los Angeles, Calif. and the premium lifestyle brand with emphasis on stylish denim, has been a mainstay on the Vision Racing body work all season. William Rast was also featured earlier in the year as a primary on the team’s No. 21 car driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in April. Carpenter’s car will feature a grey matte finish, day-glow orange accents and of course, William Rast branding.

- TWEET-UP: @VisionRacing is getting together with @InfineonRaceway to organize a “Tweetup” on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009 at the race track from 5-6 p.m. for Indy Racing League fans on hand. The gathering of Twitter followers will take place in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle, following IndyCar Series qualifying for the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. In addition, several IndyCar drivers who are regulars on Twitter are expected to attend the Tweetup, including Vision Racing’s Ed Carpenter and fellow competitors Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kaanan, Graham Rahal, Mario Moraes and others. The Firestone Firehawk is also slated to make an appearance. Additional teams joining Vision Racing will be Luczo Dragon, KV Racing, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, Conquest Racing, Penske Racing and other team representatives will also be in attendance. Motorsports writers who Tweet will also be joining in on the fun. The Tweetup will feature light food, refreshments and giveaways from Vision Racing and Infineon Raceway. All fans have to do to attend is have a Twitter (www.Twitter.com) account and access the official invitation at http://twtvite.com/84ask4 . Only those who RSVP will be allowed at the Tweetup. The invitation does not include a Saturday event ticket; that must be purchased separately.

- OH SO CLOSE: Earlier this month at Kentucky Speedway, Carpenter earned a career-best finish of second, led 34 laps, was the most improved driver (started 14th) had the fastest lap of the race for the second consecutive season and put on an impressive display that stole the show as by crossing the finish line just 0.0162 of a second behind Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske. Not only was it Carpenter’s career-best finish in 93 starts over six seasons, it was also Vision Racing’s best oval finish and it also matched Ryan Hunter-Reay’s second place finish for the team earlier this season on the streets of St. Petersburg. Hunter-Reay was runner-up to Briscoe in that race as well. It was the closest finish in the history of Kentucky Speedway and the 11th closest finish in IndyCar Series history.

- HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: After forming and joining the Indy Racing League in 2005, Vision Racing is celebrating its fifth season of competition in 2009. Since the team embarked upon IndyCar Series competition, eight drivers have piloted five (Nos. 2, 20, 21, 22, 90) different team entries. Those drivers have combined for an additional 45 top-10 finishes, plus 10 top-five finishes, four more podium finishes and 76 laps led. Over the previous four years the quest for the team’s first victory has been top priority and Vision Racing is confident that year five will be the season where that it happens. The team’s best ever finishes occurred in the 2009 as Ryan Hunter-Reay drove from 14th to finish second in the season opener at St. Petersburg and Carpenter also drove from 14th to second at Kentucky Speedway. Hunter-Reay’s podium finish also put Vision second in the championship point standings at the time which was also its’ the highest-ever ranking. The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be the team’s 80th IndyCar Series event since their first season in 2005.

- FIRST-HAND FROM THE FAMILY: Since the beginning of the season, Vision Racing team co-owner, Lauren George has been writing a blog, much to the enjoyment of the fans, which has been featured both on the team’s Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/VisionRacing) and on the team’s new website (www.VisionRacing.com/fans). Her highly anticipated blog post that recaps the team’s weekend at Kentucky is up and ready for reading. And if that’s not enough, her father and fellow team co-owner, Tony George, got into the act in Edmonton by publishing his thoughts and opinions in response to a recent announcement he made exclusively on the team’s website early in July. The latter George’s post drew more than 16,000 hits to the site in less than one day. The pair are planning to continue submissions periodically throughout the remainder of the season, exclusively at VisionRacing.com. Not to mention, Carpenter has begun adding a video blog to the site now in addition to his updates on his continued “tweets” at www.twitter.com/edcarpenter20.

- ON ROAD/STREET COURSES: The team’s best finishes on a road or street course is second, recently scored in the 2009 season-opener at St. Petersburg by Ryan Hunter-Reay in his debut with the team. It’s is also the team’s highest finish overall. Prior to Hunter-Reay’s podium finish, the previous best road and street course drives include a fourth place finish scored by Paul Tracy in 2008 at Edmonton, and a pair of sixth place drives; one captured by Tomas Scheckter on the streets of St. Petersburg in 2007 and the other by Ed Carpenter in 2006 at Watkins Glen International. The team’s best finish at Infineon came in 2007 season when Tomas Scheckter finished eighth.

- FIND US ONLINE, ANYTIME: In late June, the team launched the newly remodeled www.VisionRacing.com. The site not only features great design and features, but also boasts its own fan site with additional content just for fans. The site is also the hub of the team’s social media experiment for the 2009 season. Vision Racing has established itself in the realm of online social media and networking via accounts at Twitter, Facebook and YouTube this season; allowing fans, friends, followers and even members of the media the opportunity to closely follow and interact with the five-year IndyCar Series participant. Be sure to follow the team’s Twitter feed all race weekend long at Mid-Ohio for behind the scenes info, pictures and maybe even an impromptu, trackside “tweet-up!” The team’s new site was designed by RACERSITES.COM.

- ON LOAN: Considered a win-win situation for all involved, Vision Racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay has taken over piloting duties of A.J. Foyt’s No. 14 ABC Supply entry for the remainder of the 2009 IndyCar season in a deal that began at Iowa. Hunter-Reay, who drove the No. 21 Vision Honda Dallara to a second place podium finish in the 2009 season opener at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida, and has transferred his driving services to A.J. Foyt Racing as a temporary replacement for the injured Vitor Meira.

- 2009 TEAM HIGHLIGHTS: This season’s highlight to date came in the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. when Ryan Hunter-Reay started 14th and drove all the way to finish in second place and again just last weekend when Ed Carpenter also started 14th, led 34 laps and finished second by just 0.0162 of a second at Kentucky Speedway. Carpenter has also added four top-ten finishes at Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa.

- AS SEEN ON TV: Patrick Dempsey joined Vision Racing prior to the 2006 season, taking on a new role that has been making hearts race in a literal way as a team co-owner. Known for his scene-stealing turns in such ’80s nostalgia classics such as Can’t Buy Me Love and Loverboy, Patrick Dempsey continues to please America with his explosive charisma and versatile talent. Dempsey is the star of the ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Dempsey’s no stranger to the racetrack when he’s not in front of the camera. A true racer at heart, he’s currently driving professionally in Grand American Cup class sports car racing with Dempsey Racing, formerly Hypersport. He raced a Ferrari F430 GT with Team Seattle in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and also competed in the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

- A TEAM WITH A VISION: Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George, their daughter Lauren George and actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition and second year of Firestone Indy Lights racing. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and Indy car racing.

Ed Carpenter

Birthday: March 3, 1980; Hometown: Marshall, Ill.; Residence: Indianapolis, Ind.

Finished second by 0.0162 of a second at Kentucky earlier this month; leading 34 laps.

- AT INFINEON RACEWAY: Carpenter has been running at the finish in all four previous attempts at Infineon Raceway. However, he is still looking for his first top-ten finish there. In his first attempt at Infineon Raceway in 2005, Carpenter started 20th and finished 15th with Vision Racing. In 2006 season he started 16th and finished 12th, in 2007 he started the race from the 14th spot, ran as high as 12th and ultimately finished 13th, and last year he started and finished in the 23rd position.

- MOST RECENTLY: Starting from the 21st spot, Carpenter drove a clean race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two weeks ago. He drove as high as 13th in the event and finished 17th. Unfortunately, Carpenter fell one spot to 14th in the IndyCar Series championship point standings with 239 total points after 13 races (221 points behind the leader).

- BABY ON BOARD: Just as planned, Carpenter and wife Heather (Pettigrew) welcomed their second child into the world on June 1st as the 8 lb. 1 oz., 20 inch long Ryder Carpenter arrived on his due date. Young Ryder has been traveling the IndyCar Series circuit with his family at just a few weeks old; joining the schedule back in June for the Iowa event and tagging along ever since. Big sister, Makenna was born in October 2007, while the couple was married November 8, 2005 on the Island of St. Thomas.

- TWEET, TWEET: With the birth of his second child in June, son Ryder, Carpenter decided it would be the perfect time to make his debut on Twitter.com as well; joining Vision Racing’s Twitter efforts. You can view Carpenter’s Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/edcarpenter20 and follow the team at www.twitter.com/visionracing.

- 2009 SEASON: This is the sixth full season in IndyCar Series competition for Carpenter and the seventh season that he has participated in overall. Carpenter is looking to build off of four top-ten finishes and a career-best second place finish at Kentucky Speedway. His top-ten finishes came on the ovals of Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa. The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be Carpenter’s 14th event of the 2009 IndyCar Series season.

- LEADER LAPS: In his fifth IndyCar Series start in at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2008, Carpenter recorded his first laps led in an IndyCar. He led the field for three laps under caution and finished an Indianapolis 500 career-best, fifth. He led again this season for a lap at Texas Motor Speedway and again last weekend for 34 laps at Kentucky Speedway. He has a total of 38 career-leader laps.

- BACK WITH MENARDS: The No. 20 Vision Racing machine again features the most recognizable car on track as it carries the day-glow yellow color of Menards for the second consecutive season. Menards returned as the primary sponsor of the No. 20 Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone, driven by Ed Carpenter. The Menards sponsorship also continues a long-lasting relationship between the home store retailer with Carpenter. The 28-year-old driver carried the Menards livery in 2002, with Sinden Racing in Firestone Indy Lights competition and well before that his days of dirt track racing behind the wheel of quarter midgets.

- NEW VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT: Carpenter still has the same view from the cockpit that he’s always had, but fans of the driver will notice a different look coming from his cockpit this season as his helmet is carrying the distinct colors and logos of the premium jean and clothing retailer, William Rast, for the 2009 season.

- ED “CARPENTER”: Carpenter and his arsenal of power tools were busy again this past off-season as he was knee deep in a house flipping project with a long time friend as well as occupied with rehab projects around his own home. Of course, Menards has been an essential part of Carpenter’s home repair ventures. Prior to his current real estate investment, Carpenter and his “do-it-yourself” mentality crafted his home repair skills with his first home and family heirloom. The home is located in Speedway, Ind. was purchased as new in 1955 by stepfather Tony George’s parents, Elmer and Mari George. Tony grew up in the home as a boy and for a time, drivers A.J. Foyt and Roger McCluskey lived in the basement.

- DOUBLE DUTY: Ed Carpenter made history in September 2003 at Chicagoland Speedway when he became the first driver to compete in a Firestone Indy Lights event and an IndyCar Series event on the same weekend.

- INAUGURAL BRICKYARD WINNER: Carpenter won the inaugural Firestone Indy Lights Firestone Freedom 100 in 2003 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Making him an inaugural winner at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with Ray Haroun (Indianapolis 500), Jeff Gordon (Brickyard 400), and Michael Schumacher (United States Grand Prix).

- BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: Carpenter graduated from 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament qualifying Butler University, Indianapolis, Ind., with a marketing degree in May 2003.

- DID YOU KNOW? Carpenter enjoys water skiing, snowboarding, hunting and cycling. His racing heroes include Al Unser Jr., A.J. Foyt, and Lance Armstrong and he has two dogs; a Rottweiler named Bentley and a Chihuahua named Rosco.

- ED AT-A-GLANCE: Carpenter is participating in his sixth season in the IndyCar Series, and his fifth with his second team in Vision Racing. The 28-year-old made his IndyCar debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003 for PDM Racing, which made him the first driver to compete in an IRL Indy Pro Series event and an IndyCar Series event on the same weekend. Carpenter, who has been with the team since it’s inception in 2005, is determined to make his sixth season overall, the best for both he and the team. So far he’s done that with a career-best second place finish at Kentucky Speedway in August with 34 laps led.

About the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma:

The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway air live on Sunday, Aug. 23rd at 5:00 p.m. ET on VERSUS, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of the 2009 season. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Ed Carpenter

At the finish, Carpenter earned most-improved driver honors by advancing his position 12 spots from a 14th place start on the grid (based on entrant points) to his second place podium finish. He also set the fastest lap of the race for the second consecutive time at Kentucky with a 218.498 mph lap average (24.3847 seconds) on lap eight. From there, he continued to slice his way through the field in dominant fashion.

With the help of four flawless pit stops by his Menards pit crew, Carpenter took the lead for the first time in the race on lap 137 and held it for 34 laps. Carpenter and Briscoe battled it out side by-side for the remaining 9 laps with Briscoe edging the no.20 Menards car by just fractions of a second each time they got to the scoring line. With both competitors leaning on their push-to-pass buttons on the white flag lap, the fans were treated to a breathtaking finish.

The second place result is not only a career-best IndyCar Series finish for Carpenter, but matches the team’s best finish of second scored by Ryan Hunter-Reay in the team’s No. 21 entry on the Streets of St. Petersburg in the 2009 season opener. It is however, the team’s highest oval finish and adds to their previous best run here of third, scored by A.J. Foyt IV in 2007. This is Carpenter’s first career IndyCar podium finish.

Carpenter’s past successes at Kentucky included a sixth place drive while setting the fastest lap of the race last year, as well as another good run in 2007 when he finished seventh by charging from the back of the field after a stalled engine on his first pit stop. Carpenter has six attempts at Kentucky with a podium finish and three additional top-ten finishes.

Earning his fifth top-ten finish of the season, and his fourth career top-five, and taking second place, Carpenter jumped from 16th to 12th in the IndyCar Series championship point standings. He now has 226 total points after 12 races (190 points behind the leader).

Briscoe’s victory put him in control of the championship point standings with 416 total points. Rounding out the podium with Carpenter was Tony Kaanan of Andretti Green Racing. In addition to a great battle for the photo finish, fans were treated to twenty lead changes and just one caution, making this race the second-fastest (in mph) in series history.

Watch the IndyCar Series next weekend as they take on challenge of the natural-terrain Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Honda Indy 200. The race broadcast will air live from Mid-Ohio on Sunday afternoon Aug. 9th at 1 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS.

Post Race Quotes: (Aug. 1, 2009)

Ed Carpenter - No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Finishing Position: 2nd

Qualifying Position: 14th (based on entrant points)

On race:

“I passed 3 or 4 cars on the start so I had a good idea I had a good car. It was fun running on a mile and a half oval next to a Penske car and run side by side for that many laps at the end of the race. I was trying to run Ryan (Briscoe) as high as I could to make him run the long way around and keep him from getting a run but just had to race him clean and he raced me clean. I have to be happy with second. It’s a career best for me but it hurts being that close to a win. It doesn’t come around often enough. I was hitting the overtake button as often as I could on that last lap.

I knew it was going to be close at the line. He was beating me to the line almost every time on those last few laps. I kept trying different things to try to get an edge and do anything but crash. It was nice to have him race me so clean since he wasn’t used to racing side by side with the Menards car for the lead. The Vision crew guys gave me some awesome pitstops and they were as perfect as they could be. Those guys should be very proud of the job they did tonight. I have to thank Tony and my mom and all of our sponsors, Menards, John Mansville, Lilly, William Rast for their support. It’s been a tough year for the Vision team and this is a good result to help turn things around for the rest of the season but we were just one spot off from making it that much better. This is great for moral.”

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of 2009.

Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Carpenter made just two pit stops in the 95-lap event, which was a green-lap affair up until two laps from the finish when Tomas Scheckter made contact with the wall. The race finished under caution, but the lack of a full-course yellow allowed the field to spread out amidst the 1.973-mile road course during the contest.

Unfortunately, with the result, Carpenter drops another spot in the IndyCar Series championship point standings to the 16th position with 186 total points (194 points behind the leader).

Will Power of Team Penske won the race from the pole in his part-time ride driving the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental Machine. Rounding out the podium was Helio Castroneves of Team Penske and Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. With the result, Dixon takes back control of the championship points standings with 380 total points

Watch the IndyCar Series next weekend as they take to the 1.5-mile oval at Kentucky Speedway for the Meijer Indy 300. The race broadcast will air live from Kentucky on Saturday evening, Aug. 1st at 8 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS.

Ed Carpenter

Finishing Position: 16th

Qualifying Position: 23rd

On race:

It wasn’t too bad a day considering. My car was way better on red Firestone tires than it was on blacks. For the middle stint, when I was on the black tires, my times were pretty bad and I had tons and tons of understeer. The red Firestone tires made the balance good enough that I could run some decent lap times and got into a good rhythm. It was a tough race going green the way it did until the last couple of laps. It made for a long day but unlike the other street courses, I didn’t make any stupid mistakes, spin, run into anything or anybody, so I’ll take that as a positive. With it going all green, being as physical as it was, I would have liked to have seen some some attrition especially since I didn’t make any mistakes.”

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of 2009. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Ed Carpenter

After dropping to the 20th position just after the start of the race, Carpenter battled back on track and took advantage of other’s mistakes and utilized a solid strategy to move as high as the 12th position during the first of many full-course cautions on lap eight.

Upon the first race restart on lap 12, while running in the 12th spot, Carpenter experienced his first bit of excitement with a small spin while getting on the power in turn six. Carpenter was able to resume, but fell to the 23rd position. Track conditions made for slippery conditions, a scenario that Carpenter confirmed on the radio to his team before spinning for a second time on lap 26. Once again, he was able to carry on in the race and by lap 45 had made up three positions.

On lap 58 the adversity for Carpenter continued as competitor Graham Rahal put his car inside of the No. 20 William Rast machine while both cars were navigating a tight turn. The contact between the two drivers put Carpenter into the air and Rahal into the wall. Yet again, Carpenter managed to press on in the race in spite of the incident.

Working his way up to the 17th spot, Carpenter stopped for a pit stop to check for damage and change to red walled Firestone tires. From that point, Carpenter soldiered on to the finish while others experienced misfortunes and mishaps on the tricky street course. For his efforts and patience, Carpenter scored a 15th place result.

Unfortunately, Carpenter dropped one spot again in the IndyCar Series championship point standings to the 15th position with 172 total points (175 points behind the leader).

Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi won the wild race and resumes control of the championship points standings as a result with 247 total points. Rounding out the podium was Ryan Briscoe and Will Power of Team Penske.

Watch the IndyCar Series in action two weeks from today for the Series’ return to Edmonton Centre Airport for the Rexall Edmonton Indy. The race broadcast will air live from Edmonton on Sunday, July 26th at 5 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS.

Post Race Quotes: (July12, 2009)

Ed Carpenter - No. 20 William Rast/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Finishing Position: 15th

Qualifying Position: 19th

On race:

“There sure was a lot of action but I’m just really disappointed in myself. Everything was looking good yesterday when we had a really good qualifying effort and we were trying to build on that in the race. Every street course this year I’ve manage to spoil our efforts.

These races turn into attrition races every time and instead of taking advantage, I’ve done something to set us back. I have to apologize to William Rast, Menards, Johns Manville and Lilly and especially all the guys that work hard on this team. We had something to be happy about yesterday and today I threw it all away trying to get my rear tires cleaned off before the restart and just lit them up and lost it. It was a stupid mistake.”

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of 2009. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release

Ed Carpenter

- TAKING THE VISION TO TORONTO: Vision Racing and the IndyCar Series ventures to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and its city streets for the first time. The team’s best road and street course finish came earlier this year on the streets of St. Petersburg when Ryan Hunter-Reay finished in the second position. Ed Carpenter’s best road/street course finish came at Watkins Glen when he took sixth place in 2006.

- NEW LOOK FOR CANADA: Vision Racing is pleased to announce that the William Rast branding livery will ride again this season, only this time on the team’s No. 20 Dallara/Honda/Firestone entry driven by Ed Carpenter. William Rast, a People’s Liberation subsidiary known for its stylish high-end denim, will be the primary sponsor on the No. 20 car for the IndyCar Series’ Canadian swing through Toronto and Edmonton. While William Rast, a premium lifestyle brand with emphasis on stylish jeans, has been a mainstay on the Vision Racing body work all season, it was last featured as a primary on the team’s No. 21 car driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in April. Carpenter’s car will feature a grey matte finish, day-glow orange accents and of course, William Rast branding.

- BIRDS-EYE VIEW: Fans watching the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday’s ABC TV coverage beginning at 1 p.m. (ET), will get the opportunity to see the No. 20 William Rast/Vision Racing machine from a birds-eye view. The car will carry an in-car camera this weekend giving viewers a unique perspective as Carpenter pilots the car around the streets of Toronto.

- HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: After joining the Indy Racing League in 2005, Vision Racing is celebrating its fifth season of competition in 2009. Since the team embarked upon IndyCar Series competition, eight drivers have piloted five (Nos. 2, 20, 21, 22, 90) different team entries. Those drivers have combined for an additional 45 top-10 finishes, plus 10 top-five finishes, three more podium finishes and 42 laps led. Over the previous four years the quest for the team’s first victory has been top priority and Vision Racing is confident that year five will be the season where that it happens. The team’s best ever finish occurred in the 2009 season opener as Ryan Hunter-Reay drove from 14th to finish second in the race. That podium finish also put Vision second in the championship point standings which was also its’ the highest-ever ranking. The Honda Indy Toronto will be the team’s 76th IndyCar Series event since their first season in 2005.

- ON ROAD/STREET COURSES: The team’s best finishes on a road or street course is second, recently scored in the 2009 season-opener at St. Petersburg by Ryan Hunter-Reay in his debut with the team. It’s is also the team’s highest finish overall. Prior to Hunter-Reay’s podium finish, the previous best road and street course drives include a fourth place finish scored by Paul Tracy in 2008 at Edmonton, and a pair of sixth place drives; one captured by Tomas Scheckter on the streets of St. Petersburg in 2007 and the other by Ed Carpenter in 2006 at Watkins Glen International

- FIND US ONLINE, ANYTIME:Just a couple of weeks ago, the team launched the newly remodeled www.VisionRacing.com. The site not only features great design and features, but also boasts its own fan site with additional content just for fans. The site is also the hub of the team’s social media experiment for the 2009 season. Vision Racing has established itself in the realm of online social media and networking via accounts at Twitter, Facebook and YouTube this season; allowing fans, friends, followers and even members of the media the opportunity to closely follow and interact with the five-year IndyCar Series participant. Be sure to follow the team’s Twitter feed all race weekend long for behind the scenes info, pictures and maybe even an impromptu, trackside “tweet-ups!” The team’s new site was designed by RACERSITES.COM.

- ON LOAN: Considered a win-win situation for all involved, Vision Racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay has taken over piloting duties of A.J. Foyt’s No. 14 ABC Supply entry for the remainder of the 2009 IndyCar season in a deal that began at Iowa. Hunter-Reay, who drove the No. 21 Vision Honda Dallara to a second place podium finish in the 2009 season opener at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida, and has transferred his driving services to A.J. Foyt Racing as a temporary replacement for the injured Vitor Meira.

- 2009 TEAM HIGHLIGHTS: This season’s highlight to date came in the season-opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. when Ryan Hunter-Reay started 14th and drove all the way to finish in second place. Since then, Carpenter has added four top-ten finishes at Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa.

- AS SEEN ON TV: Patrick Dempsey joined Vision Racing prior to the 2006 season, taking on a new role that has been making hearts race in a literal way as a team co-owner. Known for his scene-stealing turns in such ’80s nostalgia classics such as Can’t Buy Me Love and Loverboy, Patrick Dempsey continues to please America with his explosive charisma and versatile talent. Dempsey is the star of the ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Dempsey’s no stranger to the racetrack when he’s not in front of the camera. A true racer at heart, he’s currently driving professionally in Grand American Cup class sports car racing with Dempsey Racing, formerly Hypersport. He raced a Ferrari F430 GT with Team Seattle in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and also competed in the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

- A TEAM WITH A VISION: Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George, their daughter Lauren George and actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition and second year of Firestone Indy Lights racing. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and Indy car racing.

Ed Carpenter – No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone:

Birthday: March 3, 1980;

Hometown: Marshall, Ill.;

Residence: Indianapolis, Ind.

Making debut at Toronto for just his 21st career road/street course start.

- AT TORONTO: Carpenter will be making his debut on the streets of Toronto this weekend. It will be Carpenter’s 21st road/street course race EVER! His best finish in those 21 starts came at Watkins Glen, in 2006 when he drove as high as fifth and finished sixth. Ed has never started in the top-ten on a road or street course, but has finished in the top-ten twice (sixth at Watkins Glen in 2006 and 10th at Detroit in 2007). In the team’s most recent road course affair at Watkins Glen, Carpenter was driving in the tenth position when Mario Moraes made an aboidable move and hit Carpenter, causing damage to the No. 20 machine. The team’s best road/street course finish came in the season-opener this year at St. Pete when Ryan Hunter-Reay finished second. That was also the team’s highest-ever finish.

- BABY ON BOARD: Just as planned, Carpenter and wife Heather (Pettigrew) welcomed their second child into the world on June 1st as the 8 lb. 1 oz., 20 inch long Ryder Carpenter arrived on his due date. Young Ryder has been traveling the IndyCar Series circuit with his family at just a few weeks old; joining the schedule back in June for the Iowa event and tagging along ever since. Big sister, Makenna was born in October 2007, while the couple was married November 8, 2005 on the Island of St. Thomas.

- TWEET, TWEET: With the birth of his second child, son Ryder, Carpenter decided it would be the perfect time to make his debut on Twitter.com as well; joining Vision Racing’s Twitter efforts. You can view Carpenter’s Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/edcarpenter20 and follow the team at www.twitter.com/visionracing. Speaking of Twitter, Carpenter is also making good use of the in-car camera by adding his Twitter handle to the top of his William Rast branded helmet. It reads @edcarpenter20.

- MOST RECENTLY: After being unceremoniously punted out of his tenth place running position by a competitor, Carpenter found himself battling on for a 16th place finish at Watkins Glen last Sunday afternoon for the fifth annual Camping World Grand Prix. After starting in the 21st position, a bit of strategy and good fortune put Carpenter and the No. 20 Menards machine in the tenth position following his first pit stop and subsequent full course caution. While running in the top-ten on lap 23 for the restart, competitor Mario Moraes completed an ill-advised move approaching turn five and made significant contact with the No.20 Menards car. Carpenter’s crew was able to repair the damage (flat tire and broken right-rear tow link) and get him back on track where he worked his way from the 19th position to take 16th at the checkered flag.

- 2009 SEASON: This is the sixth full season in IndyCar Series competition for Carpenter and the seventh season that he has participated in overall. Carpenter is looking to build off of four top-ten finishes earned in the last six consecutive oval races. His top-ten finishes came on the ovals of Kansas, Indianapolis, Texas and Iowa. The Honda Indy Toronto will be Carpenter’s tenth event of the 2009 IndyCar Series season.

- LEADER LAPS: In his fifth IndyCar Series start in at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2008, Carpenter recorded his first laps led in an IndyCar. He led the field for three laps under caution and finished an Indianapolis 500 career-best, fifth. His most recent leader lap came this season at Texas Motor Speedway when Carpenter was credited for leading one lap. He has a total of four (4) career-leader laps.

- BACK WITH MENARDS: The No. 20 Vision Racing machine again features the most recognizable car on track as it carries the day-glow yellow color of Menards for the second consecutive season. Menards returned as the primary sponsor of the No. 20 Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone, driven by Ed Carpenter. The Menards sponsorship also continues a long-lasting relationship between the home store retailer with Carpenter. The 28-year-old driver carried the Menards livery in 2002, with Sinden Racing in Firestone Indy Lights competition and well before that his days of dirt track racing behind the wheel of quarter midgets.

- NEW VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT: Carpenter still has the same view from the cockpit that he’s always had, but fans of the driver will notice a different look coming from his cockpit this season as his helmet is carrying the distinct colors and logos of the premium jean and clothing retailer, William Rast, for the 2009 season. For the Canadian events at Toronto and Edmonton, Carpenter’s helmet will match his car as his No. 20 machine will carry William Rast primary sponsorship at those races.

- ED “CARPENTER”: Carpenter and his arsenal of power tools have been busy again this past off-season as he has been knee deep in a house flipping project with a long time friend as well as occupied with rehab projects around his own home. Of course, Menards has been an essential part of Carpenter’s home repair ventures. Prior to his current real estate investment, Carpenter and his “do-it-yourself” mentality crafted his home repair skills with his first home and family heirloom. The home is located in Speedway, Ind. was purchased as new in 1955 by stepfather Tony George’s parents, Elmer and Mari George. Tony grew up in the home as a boy and for a time, drivers A.J. Foyt and Roger McCluskey lived in the basement.

- DOUBLE DUTY: Ed Carpenter made history in September 2003 at Chicagoland Speedway when he became the first driver to compete in a Firestone Indy Lights event and an IndyCar Series event on the same weekend.

- INAUGURAL BRICKYARD WINNER: Carpenter won the inaugural Firestone Indy Lights Firestone Freedom 100 in 2003 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Making him an inaugural winner at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with Ray Haroun (Indianapolis 500), Jeff Gordon (Brickyard 400), and Michael Schumacher (United States Grand Prix).

- BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: Carpenter graduated from 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament qualifying Butler University, Indianapolis, Ind., with a marketing degree in May 2003.

- DID YOU KNOW? Carpenter enjoys water skiing, snowboarding, hunting and cycling. His racing heroes include Al Unser Jr., A.J. Foyt, and Lance Armstrong and he has two dogs; a Rottweiler named Bentley and a Chihuahua named Rosco.

- ED AT-A-GLANCE: Carpenter is participating in his sixth season in the IndyCar Series, and his fifth with his second team in Vision Racing. The 28-year-old made his IndyCar debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003 for PDM Racing, which made him the first driver to compete in an IRL Indy Pro Series event and an IndyCar Series event on the same weekend. Carpenter, who has been with the team since it’s inception in 2005, is determined to make his sixth season overall, the best for both he and the team. Last year Carpenter recorded seven top-10 finishes, two top-fives and his first leader laps.

o Highest Career Start: 4th – Michigan International Speedway, 2006/Vision Racing

o Highest Career Finish: 5th – Chicagoland Speedway, 2006/Vision Racing

— Homestead-Miami Speedway, 2008/Vision Racing

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2008/Vision Racing

o Laps Led: 4

o Top-5′s: 3

o Top-10′s: 25

o Starts: 91

o Running at Finish: 64 (71%)

About the Honda Indy Toronto:

The Honda Indy Toronto held on the streets of Toronto, Ontario, Canada will air live on Sunday, July 12th at 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana in a 32,000 square foot facility. The team competes full-time in the IndyCar Series and is entering its fifth season of IndyCar Series competition. The team features returning IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and welcomed veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay for the start of the 2009 season. Also new for 2009 is a return to the Firestone Indy Lights Series with driver James Davison, as well as a technical partnership with new FIL team Bryan Herta Autosport and driver Daniel Herrington. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release