After only one season of being merged, CFH Racing will be re-branded as Ed Carpenter Racing. This comes after co-owners Sarah Fisher and Willis “Wink” Hartman have decided to pull their backing from the team.
Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing came to be in 2014 days after the conclusion of the IndyCar season. Before merging both teams had success winning one race each both by Ed Carpenter. Ed Carpenter Racing and Fisher Hartman Racing combined their efforts to field full time driver Josef Newgarden and part time drivers Ed Carpenter, Mike Conway, Luca Filippi, and JR Hildebrand.
Sarah Fisher will be focusing on her new business Speedway Indoor Karting with her husband Andy O’Gara. She will continue to help with business developments and current partners.
“It’s important for IndyCar to have strong entries on grid and this team needs to be two of them. So I will do what I can to help them with business developments and continue with solutions for our current partners.
With oil prices dropping, Wink Hartman had no choice but to pull out of co-owning the team. He has stated that if oil prices begin to stabilize he may return in future seasons.
“I decided in fairness to the team that I should withdraw from the season at least, or maybe longer until energy prices stabilize. Ed Carpenter is going to continue with ECR Racing, and Josef and he will be the drivers for the team.”
With Hartman and Fisher leaving, Josef Newgarden will switch from the number 67 to 21 and be sponsored by Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka for at least the first 4 races. There has been no word on sponsorship for the remainder of the season. Ed Carpenter will drive the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium for IndyCars five oval races. There is no word on a third entry for the month of May which the team has done over past seasons fielding J.R. Hildebrand.
The team will continue to operate out of their normal headquarters and has had “a very productive offseason” according to Ed Carpenter. The new Ed Carpenter Racing will be on showcase at Phoenix International Raceway on February 8th.
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