Ed Carpenter Siblings: Getting to Know Tony George Jr.

Everette Edward Carpenter Jr., commonly known as Ed Carpenter, is a prominent American auto racing driver and team owner born on March 3, 1981, in Paris, Illinois.

Raised initially in the small town of Marshall until the age of eight, Carpenter relocated to Indianapolis, where he immersed himself in the racing culture that defines the city.

He is the stepson of Tony George, the founder of the Indy Racing League (now part of the NTT IndyCar Series) and former president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which ties him deeply to the Hulman-George family legacy that has shaped American open-wheel racing since Anton “Tony” Hulman Jr. purchased the Speedway in 1945.

A graduate of Butler University with a degree in marketing, Carpenter balances his roles as a competitor and entrepreneur, making him the only owner-driver in the IndyCar Series.

Married to Heather, he has three children and remains a dedicated Indianapolis resident, often supporting local sports teams like the Colts, Pacers, and his alma mater’s Bulldogs.

Siblings

Ed grew up with a younger brother, Tony George Jr.

At just eight years old, when their stepfather Tony George inquired if the boys wanted to try racing quarter midgets, both eagerly agreed, marking the beginning of a family tradition in the sport.

This brotherly duo spent formative hours in a parking lot at George’s workplace, honing their skills on small tracks and tractors around the family property.

Career

Carpenter’s racing journey began in 1989 with midget cars, building a strong foundation in the USAC ranks through the 1990s and early 2000s, where he notched wins like the 1998 Belleville Nationals and consistent top finishes in national series.

Transitioning to open-wheel racing, he claimed third place in the inaugural Infiniti Pro Series (now INDY NXT) championship in 2002.

His IndyCar debut came in 2003 with PDM Racing, followed by stints at Red Bull Cheever Racing and Vision Racing, where he navigated challenging seasons amid team transitions.

Also Read: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Siblings: Get to Know Evan Ferrand Prévot

In 2011, after a part-time year with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, Carpenter took a bold step by founding Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) in partnership with Tony George and Stuart Reed, debuting in 2012 with sponsorship from Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka.

That inaugural season culminated in a dramatic victory at the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway, the tightest finish in series history by 0.0098 seconds over Dario Franchitti, marking ECR as the only one-driver team to win a race that year.

To optimize resources, Carpenter adopted a split-driving strategy in 2014, handling ovals himself while entrusting road and street courses to specialists like Mike Conway, who secured wins at Long Beach and Toronto.

This approach yielded Carpenter’s third career victory at Texas Motor Speedway.

In 2015, ECR merged with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing to form CFH Racing, achieving two wins with Josef Newgarden before reverting to ECR in 2016.

The team expanded, fielding talents like Rinus VeeKay, Conor Daly, and later Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen for the 2025 season, with Carpenter focusing primarily on ovals and the Indy 500.

Recent developments include adding co-owner Ted Gelov and breaking ground on a state-of-the-art shop in Westfield’s Grand Park, set for completion in 2027, complete with a Java House cafe reflecting the team’s sister company.

Through 22 seasons, Carpenter has amassed nearly 400 team starts, blending driving prowess with savvy ownership to sustain ECR’s competitiveness.

Accolades

Carpenter holds the joint record for the most Indianapolis 500 starts without a victory, tied with George Snider at 27 through the 2024 season, having completed over 3,900 laps in the event—the sixth-highest total in history—and earning more than $6.5 million in purses.

Remarkably, he has qualified on the pole for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” three times (2013, 2014, and 2018), joining an elite group as only the 10th driver in over a century to secure three or more, while leading the most laps in 2018 (65) en route to a runner-up finish, his best result alongside a fifth in 2021.

Carpenter’s three IndyCar wins—2012 at Auto Club Speedway, 2014 at Texas—highlight his clutch performance, including that razor-thin Fontana triumph.

As an owner, ECR claimed its first victory under his leadership in 2012 and expanded to multiple wins, including Conway’s 2014 Long Beach Grand Prix.

Carpenter reached his 20th Indy 500 start and 200th series start in 2023, cementing his status as a series staple with over 50 top-10 finishes, consistent podiums like a near-miss second at World Wide Technology Raceway by 0.0399 seconds, and a reputation for leading at least one lap in 12 straight seasons.