Carpenter steps down in favor of Rasmussen for remainder of IndyCar season

Ed Carpenter isn’t retiring, but he has chosen to stand down for the last three races of the season to give rookie teammate Christian Rasmussen more opportunities to gain oval knowledge in the No. 20 Chevy.

For Carpenter, an oval devotee whose expertise in the discipline has been met with three years of disappointing results, the call to place the reigning Indy NXT champion in the car for this weekend’s Milwaukee doubleheader and the September 15 season finale at Nashville is what he feels is best for Ed Carpenter Racing.

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“First off, this was a very difficult decision for me to make,” Carpenter said. “I want to make it clear that this is not a retirement announcement. However, the reality is, I have not performed to the level that I expect of myself for the team. Christian tested at Gateway prior to the race and he showed me that he deserves this expanded opportunity. He also had such a strong performance during the Month of May and has earned the chance to continue his development. I am excited to watch him finish the season out strong for the No. 20 crew and the entire ECR team.”

Rasmussen was signed to share the car with Carpenter, handling road and street courses along with racing in a third ECR entry at the Indianapolis 500. Short on oval racing miles, the 24-year-old Dane will be able to round out his IndyCar education as a result of Carpenter’s decision.

“First and foremost, I am incredibly thankful to Ed for providing me this opportunity,” Rasmussen said. “I am excited to drive the No. 20 in the remaining three races and I am fully committed to giving the team my absolute best. While I haven’t raced at Milwaukee or Nashville before, my past performances on ovals have been strong and I’m eager to add these tracks to the list.”