Both ECR Drivers Advance For Second Road Course Race in a Row; Pigot Will Start 8th, Jones in 11th

(ELKHART LAKE, Wis.) June 22, 2019 – Qualifying Notes

– Ed Carpenter Racing drivers Spencer Pigot and Ed Jones both cite Road America as one of their favorite stops of the NTT IndyCar Series season. It showed today as each advanced to the second round of qualifications for the REV Group Grand Prix. Pigot will start 8th in tomorrow’s race while Jones will roll off 11th.

– Pigot and Jones set their fastest laps of the weekend in this morning’s 45-minute practice session. Pigot’s top speed of 139.731 miles per hour (mph) was the 6th fastest of the session and 6th of all practice laps. Jones came in at 139.015 mph, landing him 17th in Practice 3. Pigot turned 48 laps around the four-mile circuit, the longest track the NTT IndyCar Series competes on. Jones traversed around the 14 turns a total of 44 times.

– With the times from Practice 3 determining qualifying groups, Pigot was assigned to go out first in Group 1 of Round 1. Because of the length of Road America, sessions were extended to 12 minutes from the standard 10. After his run on black Firestone Firehawks, Pigot’s No. 21 Direct Supply Chevrolet sat 5th. A switch to red tires would see him turn a lap of 139.977 mph, putting him 3rd on the charts and earning him a spot in Round 2. Pigot has advanced to the second round of qualifying in three of the four road course events so far this season.

– Jones was up next in Group 2. Taking the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa Chevrolet out on black Firehawks, Jones had the 7th-fastest lap after his first run. Once he had his turn with the red tires, he too vaulted into position to advance. His lap of 139.966 mph made him the 4th fastest qualifier of Group 2, moving him into the Top 12 alongside Pigot.

– For the second road course race in a row, both Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolets rolled out for the second round of qualifying. Keeping with the same strategy, Pigot and Jones went out on the black tires before pitting for a switch to a second set of sticker red Firehawks. Pigot’s best lap of 139.876 mph will have him starting in the 8th position tomorrow. Jones will start 11th after a top speed of 139.596 mph. For Pigot, it will be his highest starting position in four starts at Road America. Jones has matched his best qualifying effort in his three REV Group Grand Prix starts.

– This weekend, Pigot’s No. 21 Chevrolet showcases the blue and white colors of longtime team partner Direct Supply. Headquartered in nearby Milwaukee, Direct Supply is committed to enhancing the lives of seniors and those who care for them. Since 1985, the company has helped Senior Living providers create amazing environments, improve care and outcomes, optimize building operations, streamline procurement and more.

– Ed Carpenter Racing will head straight into the REV Group Grand Prix tomorrow as the warmup session occurred after Practice 2 on Friday afternoon. The 55-lap race will be broadcast live on NBC with coverage beginning at 12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local). The green flag is scheduled to drop at 12:50 p.m. ET (11:50 a.m. local).

ED JONES, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa Chevrolet, Qualified 11th: “It was a pretty good session for us considering where we were this morning! It’s been a pretty tough weekend, but the team has made some good changes and kept moving forward each session. We’re still not quite where we want to be, obviously we want to be higher. It’s hard around here! Trying to make the car really strong in the low-speed corners but also not sacrificing anything in the high-speed corners is difficult. When you get it right, it makes a big difference! Qualifying was still positive considering everything, hopefully we can make a few more changes and move forward in the race tomorrow!”

SPENCER PIGOT, No. 21 Direct Supply Chevrolet, Qualified 8th: “It’s definitely a solid effort for everyone at Ed Carpenter Racing! We had a really good car this afternoon. There are still a few things we can fine-tune on and find a bit more speed. It’s so close. A few hundredths here or there could put you in the Fast 6, but that’s Indy car qualifying! Overall, we can for sure race from 8th. In warmup yesterday, we did a pretty long run and felt really strong – stronger on a long run than on one-lap pace. Hopefully that continues tomorrow as well. We know we can pass cars around this track! We’ll see if we can do that tomorrow and have a great day for our local partner Direct Supply!”