PFS Joins ECR For Entire 2016 Season; Newgarden, Hildebrand To Carry PFS Colors During The Month Of May

(SPEEDWAY, Ind.) March 22, 2016 – Preferred Freezer Services (PFS), a global leader in advanced design and engineered temperature-controlled warehouses, announced today an expansion of their partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR). JR Hildebrand will return to the team for the Month of May, joining Josef Newgarden in carrying the blue and white Preferred Freezer Services colors at the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the historic 100^th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

Additionally, PFS will be the primary partner on Newgarden’s No. 21 at the Grand Prix of Boston and the Honda Indy Toronto, site of his second win in 2015. PFS will also be an associate on the No. 21 car for all of the remaining events, while team owner Ed Carpenter will carry the famous PFS polar bear on his firesuit the entire Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The trio of Carpenter, Hildebrand and Newgarden earned the nicknamed “Team America” in 2015 when ECR was the only multi-car team with an all-American line up in the Indianapolis 500. Hildebrand hails from Sausalito, Calif.; Newgarden is a native of Hendersonville, Tenn.; Carpenter, from Indianapolis, is a hometown favorite.

“I’m really glad we were able to put everything together at ECR to continue our program with Preferred Freezer,” commented Hildebrand. “Especially going into this year’s 100th Running of the 500, you know everyone is bringing their absolute best to the fight. After the experience I’ve had over the last two years with this team, I know that we’re going to be bringing a race-winning effort ourselves. I’m looking forward to working with Ed and Josef again and putting the PFS entries up front throughout May!”

Hildebrand, 28, will be making his sixth Indianapolis 500 start and his second in the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He was named the 2011 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year after finishing second to Dan Wheldon and won the 2009 Indy Lights Championship. In his five previous Indianapolis 500 appearances, Hildebrand has three Top 10 starts and three Top 10 finishes. He finished 8^th in last year’s 500-mile race, the best finish of the three ECR drivers.

As part of the unique arena of motorsports, ECR provides a platform for global companies to showcase their products while building relationships with their own customers. Preferred Freezer Services first joined ECR in 2014, backing the entry of Hildebrand in the Indianapolis 500. They increased their relationship with the team in 2015, supporting Hildebrand in both May races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After enjoying substantial gains in brand awareness both on and off track over the past two years, PFS will have a presence at all IndyCar races in 2016.

Carpenter’s business acumen has allowed him to garner a multitude of corporate partnerships throughout his career, assisting him with the formation of his own team in 2012. Entering his 14^th year of Indy car competition as a driver, Carpenter has spent five of those years at the helm of ECR. The 35-year-old has led ECR to six race wins since it’s inception, including five in the past two years. He also won back-to-back pole positions himself at the Indianapolis 500 in 2013 and 2014.

“It is great to have Preferred Freezer back for another Month of May and to carry them on the cars all year long,” Carpenter stated. “It is always ‘cool’ to have the giant polar bear around.  This is a partnership that has grown each year and we are proud to see it grow again this year.  We all have high hopes for all of our team cars at Indianapolis and I can’t wait to get started.”

Newgarden, 25, is coming off a wildly successful season in 2015. Last year alone, he captured two race wins, his first career pole position, two additional podium finishes and led the most laps of all drivers.

“I’m thrilled to have Preferred Freezer Services on the car, they are such a great partner of ECR and very supportive of our efforts. It’s going to be a fun Month of May trying to get them a couple of wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” declared Newgarden. “I’m even more excited to have JR back on the team, he’s a phenomenal teammate and fantastic driver. I’m excited to work with him and Ed as ‘Team America’ again!”

Tim Broyles, ECR’s General Manager, oversees all day-to-day operations for the entire race team and serves as the race strategist for Carpenter. “I’m really excited to have JR back on board for the 100th, we consider him part of the ECR family,” said Broyles. “I really have to thank all of our partners that have stepped up to make this happen: Fuzzy’s Vodka, Stuart Reed, Gary Edwards, Trut Edwards, John Galiher and Preferred Freezer.”

The blue and white Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolets will make their debut on Thursday, May 12 as Newgarden and Hildebrand begin practice for the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. ECR’s next race will be April 2 at Phoenix International Raceway, where Carpenter will join Newgarden in the team’s first two-car effort of 2016.

About Preferred Freezer Services
Preferred Freezer Services, headquartered in Chatham, New Jersey, is dedicated to designing, constructing, and operating state-of-the-art warehouses throughout the United States and Asia. Preferred Freezer Services has grown from its single facility opened in 1989 to 35 locations and is still growing. Preferred Freezer Services operates in locations throughout the United States with facilities in New York/New Jersey, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Vietnam and China. For more information on PFS, visit www.preferredfreezer.com.