IndyCar: Why Spencer Pigot could be the best superspeedway driver in the sport

Spencer Pigot has never driven an IndyCar superspeedway race as a full-time driver before. But is there reason to believe he could be the best in the sport at doing so?

Ed Carpenter Racing’s Spencer Pigot, 24, entered qualifications for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 having driven in 27 IndyCar races before. Of those 27 races, just three were oval races, and of those three oval races, just two were superspeedway races.

Those two superspeedway races were the 2016 Indy 500 and the 2017 Indy 500, in which Pigot drove for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Juncos Racing, respectively. He started in 29th place in both races. He finished five laps off the lead in 2016 in 25th, and he finished six laps off the lead in 2017 in 18th.

Pigot started in 15th place and finished in 14th in the other oval race, which was the race at ISM Raceway earlier this season.

Pigot, who was Ed Carpenter Racing’s road and street course specialist in the #20 Chevrolet for the entire 2017 season and the better part of the 2016 season after driving in his first three career IndyCar races, including the 2016 Indy 500, for Rahal Letterman Lanigan, had only just recorded his career-high ninth place qualifying effort in the IndyCar Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course one week before. He had never started a race higher than 12th prior to that.