INDYCAR: Pigot shines for Carpenter

Most young drivers have a breakthrough event where they find something within themselves that clicks with the team and car, and for Ed Carpenter Racing's Spencer Pigot, it arrived last weekend at Watkins Glen.

Related Stories

The 2015 Indy Lights champion was on the gas from the opening session, looked fast and poised through every session, and raced among champions and winners for most of Sunday's 60-lap contest. Although his 15th-place finish wasn't representative of what took place in the No. 20 ECR Chevy, Pigot showed his contemporaries that he can hang with the established stars and belongs in IndyCar for years to come.

"I thought last weekend was my best so far – the best driving I've done in the car," the 22-year-old Californian told RACER. "Throughout practice we kept getting better and better. The third practice was really quite encouraging. We were P6 and third for most of it which was really a big step forward.

"But then when we put the reds on in qualifying, and I think like everyone, we were expecting there would be more grip and the car to be much better. I tried to push a little bit too hard and got a little greedy and just messed up my qualifying lap. That was a little frustrating having to start near the back after being quick in the practice right before, but it's all part of the learning curve."

Pigot's calm, intelligent approach to his craft has earned rave reviews since he became the first driver to win three consecutive Mazda Road To Indy championships. With every lap in an IndyCar, Pigot has been able to unlock more confidence and aggression, which was evident all weekend in New York.

"I thought the race was going really well, we passed quite a few guys on track and had some good battles," he said. "I think we were looking good for another top-10 finish but then after that last yellow, saving fuel was the main mission. I think I maybe pushed a little too hard for that initial part of the stint and then that just gave me a really big fuel number that I had to hit, which was difficult to get to and maintain pace. So I ended up falling back slowly but surely, and finished wherever I did.

"The weekend, as a whole, had a lot of potential, but it was so tough to put it all together, but I think the potential was there for a good weekend. I definitely feel like I'm getting more comfortable with the car and the team. They're helping me a lot and doing a great job. It is a good place for me to be and hopefully we will have a good weekend in Sonoma."

As one of many young drivers searching for traction in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Pigot would love to stay with ECR next year. It's unclear whether teammate Josef Newgarden will remain in the sister No. 21 Chevy or head for one of the bigger teams, but either way, Pigot hopes to be part of Carpenter's solution.

"I think every weekend I am learning a little bit or how the team works and they are learning how I work," he said. "I think that relationship is getting stronger and stronger every weekend, and I would love to be back, I would love to continue that next season and for many years.

"As far as next year, I don't really know what is going to happen yet. It is such a long off-season. I think everyone is just focusing on ending the year strong. Especially within ECR, Josef has a good chance of finishing third in the championship, so we're focusing on that. I stay out of the stuff about Josef's future because it's none of my business. I'm just trying to focus on having a good end to the season and putting something together, hopefully, with ECR next year."