ED CARPENTER RACING: BOMMARITO 500 NOTES

(Photo Courtesy of Ed Carpenter Racing)

RACE RESULTS
11th: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet
14th: RYAN HUNTER-REAY No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet
24th: ED CARPENTER No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet

NEXT RACE: BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland, September 3 (NBC, 3 p.m. ET)

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, NO. 20 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

(Photo Courtesy of Ed Carpenter Racing)

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Finished 14th: “All in all, a good day for the points. Our pace in clear air was as fast as some of the leaders. I felt really good about the car in clean air, but in traffic we were just stuck all day. The guys did a great job in the pits cycling through that process, but most importantly we came away with some good points.”

OF NOTE:

• Ryan Hunter-Reay had one of his strongest races with ECR to date this afternoon, gaining nine positions over the course of today’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500. 

• Hunter-Reay rolled off from the 23rd position after this morning’s qualifying. Through solid strategy and quick stops by the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet crew, he moved up through the field. 

• Once final pit stops had been completed, Hunter-Reay had settled into the 14th position. He was able to hold off competitors on fresher tires and keep the position through the checkered flag.

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

(Photo Courtesy of Ed Carpenter Racing)

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Finished 14th: “Pretty good race! Really good strategy by the team. It was a long one. I struggled a little bit to make passes happen in the train of cars. I wish I could’ve moved a bit through traffic, I struggled a little bit with that. I sat back most of the time and we made the right calls in strategy! For myself and Ryan (Hunter-Reay) to finish P11 and P14, it’s pretty good. I did not think this would happen after qualifying. Thanks to the BITNILE.COM No. 21 crew for great stops and strategy. Two back-to-back P11’s, we’re pretty pleased with that. On to the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland!”

OF NOTE:

• For the second race in a row, Rinus VeeKay narrowly missed out on a Top 10 finish. He started 20th today, immediately moving up three positions before the first turn. 

• When the early-race caution period ended, VeeKay gained two more positions on the ensuing restart. Once the pit cycles began, VeeKay continued to move forward. He stayed near the Top 10 for the rest of the event, cycling as high as 4th.

• VeeKay came into the pit lane for the final time on Lap 204. As the rest of the field made their last stops, VeeKay had slotted into 11th. He remained there for the remainder of the race, finishing 11th for the second time in two races.

ED CARPENTER, NO. 33 BITNILE.COM CHEVROLET

(Photo Courtesy of Ed Carpenter Racing)

ED CARPENTER, No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet, Finished 24th: “Today got off to a rough start, I was trying to work my way to the outside and made contact with the 55 car. I feel bad that it happened and I will talk to Benjamin. I am bummed that we started the race off so many laps down. We had a better car than we have had in awhile here and I am proud of the team for continuing to fight.”

OF NOTE:

• Despite an early-race penalty, Ed Carpenter’s No. 33 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet was strong in today’s event at World Wide Technology Raceway.

• He was the first out to qualify this morning as the order is set in the reverse order of entrant points. Just after taking the green flag from the 27th position, the No. 33 made contact with the No. 55. Carpenter served a 30-second stop-and-hold penalty for avoidable contact which ultimately dropped him several laps behind the field.

•  Even with the early setback, Carpenter was determined to finish his season strong and ran a steady race. He was credited with a 24th-place finish.