Ed Jones Finishes 12th, Spencer Pigot in 15th Following Strong Qualifying Efforts For the Honda Indy Toronto
(TORONTO) July 14, 2019 – Race Notes
(TORONTO) July 14, 2019 – Race Notes
- A strong qualifying effort by both Ed Carpenter Racing teammates did not translate over to the desired results in today's Honda Indy Toronto. Though Ed Jones and Spencer Pigot had their best starting positions at the 1.786-mile street circuit, they had to save fuel in an attempt to complete the race in only two pit stops without the aid of multiple yellow flags. Jones would finish 12th while Pigot would take the checkered flag in 15th.
- Pigot found himself in the Top 10 of every session this weekend, including three practices, qualifying and this morning’s warm-up. He would start his 50th career NTT IndyCar Series race from the 9th position. Yesterday, Jones reached the Firestone Fast 6 for the second time this season and rolled off 6th today. It was the best street course qualifying effort by two ECR cars in the team’s history.
- Jones passed Josef Newgarden heading into Turn 1 on the first lap, moving himself into the 5th position. Moments later in Turn 8, Pigot successfully navigated through a multi-car incident but fell to 11th. A full course caution followed and Jones used the Lap 4 restart to overtake Felix Rosenqvist in Turn 3 for 4th. On Lap 6, Pigot moved back into the Top 10 with a pass on Colton Herta in the same corner.
- By Lap 13, Pigot’s opening set of red Firestone Firehawks had gone off to the point where a pit stop was necessary. He was the first car to come in to the pit lane under green flag conditions, switching to the black compound tires. Jones followed in suit three laps later, also selecting a set of sticker blacks for the next stint. Once the field had completed their first stops, Jones was 12th while Pigot was 13th.
- On Lap 19, the teammates made contact while exiting Turn 3. Pigot’s front wing was damaged in the incident and he fell two positions. The No. 21 Autogeek Chevrolet crew reacted quickly, readying a spare wing. However, Pigot made the call that the car was still drivable and elected to remain on track instead of making an additional pit stop.
- Jones and Pigot both went into fuel save mode, aiming to finish the race on only one more pit stop. Pigot stretched his tank of fuel to Lap 47 before he made his second stop from the 9th position. When he prepared to launch, the air hose of a wheel gun tangled on the broken front wing. Again, the crew quickly jumped into action to keep Pigot from getting a penalty. The No. 21 stalled, but the hose was removed and the car was re-fired.
- The No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa Chevrolet crew brought Jones in on Lap 51 for his second pit stop. After those stops, Jones was 14th and Pigot was 12th. While Jones continued saving fuel, it became apparent that Pigot would need to come in for a splash of fuel. He slid into the Turn 3 runoff on Lap 72 but immediately continued. It was determined that was the best time to bring him in for his third stop and he also received a set of scuffed black Firehawks to finish the race.
- Pigot was not the only car to have to make an additional stop. As other cars dove into the pit lane in the closing laps for a splash of fuel, both Jones and Pigot would pick up additional positions. By the checkered flag, Jones would finish 12th and Pigot was 15th.
- Ed Carpenter Racing will have a quick turnaround to get ready for next weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway. Team owner Ed Carpenter will step back into the No. 20 for the short oval event and race alongside Pigot. The Iowa 300 will be broadcast live on NBC Sports on Saturday, July 20 beginning at 6:10 p.m. local (7:10 p.m. ET).
ED JONES, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa Chevrolet, Finished 12th: "We had a great first stint. The Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa car was really fast. We were able to pass (Josef) Newgarden and (Felix) Rosenqvist in those first few laps and may have even had better pace than (Alexander) Rossi. It all started off really well, but as soon as we had to start saving fuel we didn't have the balance to keep pace. It cost us a lot, and unfortunately, we fell down the order. We definitely found a few things this weekend that are going to help us everywhere. If we can keep building on that, we should be in good shape when I am back in the car in Mid-Ohio."
SPENCER PIGOT, No. 21 Autogeek Chevrolet, Finished 15th: "Obviously, this was a frustrating race. We had a really well-handling car this weekend. We may have had some issues with re-fueling and may not have been getting all of the fuel in. That put us on the back foot and caused us to have to make a third pit stop. We had to drive most of the race with the front wing damage as well. Overall, this was not a result that shows the potential of the Autogeek Chevy and our team this weekend. We had a good race in Iowa last year, so we are hoping to turn it around next weekend."
About Ed Carpenter Racing
Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT IndyCar Series in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting seven wins on each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). In 2019, Carpenter will race at all oval events in the No. 20 Chevrolet while Ed Jones will take over for the road and street courses. Both will be entered in the 2019 Indianapolis 500 alongside Spencer Pigot, who will compete for the NTT IndyCar Series championship as he races the No. 21 Chevrolet throughout the entire season. More information on Ed Carpenter Racing may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/.
