Vision Racing driver Ed Carpenter scored his second consecutive top-ten finish of the season today in the 2009 Indianapolis 500 with an eighth place result in his No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone machine. Teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay started and finished in the 32nd position at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after making contact with the wall.
Making his sixth Indianapolis 500 start and fifth with Vision Racing, Carpenter drove from the 17th spot on the grid, all the way up to the sixth position and eventually held on to take eighth in what was a caution-filled event. The climb through the field was in large part thanks to his efficient crew who helped gain as many as nine positions when leaving the pits throughout the course of the event.
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It was Carpenter’s second best finish in the 500-mile affair after taking fifth place and leading three laps just last year. For his efforts, Carpenter moved up three more spots in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings to 14th. He has 70 championship points, 52 points behind the leader Dario Franchitti.
Unfortunately, Hunter-Reay and the No. 21 IZOD/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car did not fair as well in the race. Starting from the 32nd position, Hunter-Reay immediately went to work on his competitors. On lap one he charged to the 28th spot and by lap 15 was in the 25th position.
On lap 20, Hunter-Reay got checked up by fellow competitor, A.J. Foyt IV and as a result, pushed up into the turn four wall. The initial contact turned the No. 21 Vision Racing machine around and directly into the inside wall where he entered pit lane and came to rest.
Hunter-Reay was checked, cleared and released from the infield care center, but his car sustained heavy damage. He was credited with a 32nd place finish in his second Indianapolis 500 start. As a result, Hunter-Reay drops from fifth to ninth in the championship point standings with 84 points (38 points behind leader).
Post Race Quotes: (May 24, 2009)
Ed Carpenter - No. 20 Menards/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone
Finishing Position: 8th
Qualifying Position: 17th
On race:
“It’s a Top-10 but after finishing here fifth last year nothing less than that would really be satisfying because you always want more. It was a tough day because it was pretty slick out there and my car wasn’t great to start the day but we worked on the No .20 Menards car all day, added some downforce and got to where I was happy with the way it was handling but the problem was were just weren’t quite fast enough to get up front and challenge. We battled our way to eighth but I was just hoping for a little more coming into the day after a great run here last year but it just wasn’t meant to be. The month will end of a high note however with a new baby coming into our lives in the next couple of days. Until I win the Indy 500 bringing a child into the world will still be the best thing to ever happen to me.”
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Ryan Hunter-Reay - No .21 IZOD/Vision Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone
Finishing Position: 32nd
Starting Position: 32nd
Qualifying Position: 33rd
On race:
“AJ Foyt IV was really loose and checked up in Turn 3 and 4. I followed him in there too closely and that’s my fault. I got a big aero wash and I was a passenger from there on. That put me in the grey and into the wall. The Vision 21 IZOD crew fought so hard all month and we were finally in a position that we were going to have a race where the positions were going to come to us with some patience. They already were. It’s a shame to have to have that happen trying to get around a car that’s almost disabled, but I guess that’s Indy.”
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