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IndyCar: Ed Carpenter makes driver decision, withholds name

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 07: Ed Carpenter of the United States, driver of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, prepares to drive during practice for the NTT IndyCar Series - DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 07, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JUNE 07: Ed Carpenter of the United States, driver of the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, prepares to drive during practice for the NTT IndyCar Series - DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 07, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Ed Carpenter has decided who will drive for his team in the road and street course races in the 2020 IndyCar season, but he has not named the driver.

Ed Carpenter Racing team owner Ed Carpenter is the only part-time driver under contract with the Chevrolet-powered team for the 2020 IndyCar season.

This is the case despite rumors that he may step away from his role as the team’s oval specialist after six seasons driving the #20 Chevrolet in a total of 34 oval races.

Spencer Pigot, the team’s full-time driver of the #21 Chevrolet in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, has confirmed that he will not return to the team in the 2020 season.

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Ed Jones, the driver of the #20 Chevrolet in the road and street course races throughout the 2019 season, is not expected to return.

Rinus VeeKay, the 2019 Indy Lights runner-up who has tested for Ed Carpenter Racing on multiple occasions, was tipped to replace Pigot and has since been confirmed as the full-time driver of the #21 Chevrolet for next year, and Carpenter has denied rumors that it will be current but soon to be former Renault Formula 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg who serves as his road and street course counterpart.

Carpenter did, however, say that he has decided who will drive the #20 Chevrolet in the 12 road and street course races during the 17-race 2020 season. With that being said, he is still waiting to “get the details finalized”, and as a result, he did not explicitly confirm who this driver will be with a name.

Here is what he had to say, according to Motorsport.

"“Maybe we’ll have the other #20 driver confirmed just before Thanksgiving, but most likely it will be the week after.”"

Conor Daly is another driver who has been linked to this ride. He he has been seeking a full-time ride in IndyCar since driving for A.J. Foyt Enterprises on a full-time basis in the 2017 season.

Assuming it continues, his sponsorship from the United States Air Force could be a key component in a possible landing spot at Ed Carpenter Racing for next year. Despite the fact that it would not be a full-time ride, it would be his best opportunity in three years.

He drove in the 2018 Indianapolis 500 for Dale Coyne Racing and three other races for Harding Racing throughout the season, and he drove in four races for Carlin, two for Andretti Autosport, including the Indy 500, and one for Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in the 2019 season.

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Who will be named Ed Carpenter’s counterpart behind the wheel of the #20 Chevrolet in the 12 road and street course races on the 2020 IndyCar schedule? Will it be Conor Daly getting his best opportunity in quite some time, or will the team confirm another driver?