Ed Carpenter Captures Win in IndyCar Season Finale at Auto Club Speedway; Brings Home 11th Win for Chevrolet IndyCar V6 of the Season
 
FONTANA, Calif (September 15, 2012) – Ed Carpenter let the competition know early in the weekend of the IZOD IndyCar Series season finale at Auto Club Speedway that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the MAVTV 500. And the first-year team owner/driver did just that with a gritty performance that delivered his first victory of the 2012 season.
 
“Congratulations to Ed Carpenter, and the No. 20 Chevrolet team on their exciting victory tonight at Auto Club Speedway,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series.  “Wow, what a race!  It was a nail-biter throughout the entire 250 laps.  We couldn’t be more proud of the effort of our Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams throughout the entire IZOD IndyCar Series season.”
 
Carpenter started his No. 20 Fuzzy’s Premium Ultra Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet fifth in the 26-car field, and worked his way to the lead on lap 66 of the 250-lap/500-mile race.  He was credited with leading eight times for a race-high total of 62 laps.
 
But it was Carpenter’s last-lap pass of former Series’ champion Dario Franchitti that secured the win. It is his second IZOD IndyCar Series victory, the first coming in the 2011 season-ending race at Kentucky Speedway where he also bested Franchitti on the last lap.
 
A fourth place finish netted Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, the title of 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series Champion, as well as capturing the Oval Championship. The double championships are his first in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
 
Hunter-Reay entered tonight’s race with a 17 point deficit to Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, in the battle for the title. After Power received substantial damage in a single car on-track incident on lap 56, Hunter-Reay had to finish fifth or better to secure the crown. When the checkered flag flew, Hunter-Reay scored a fourth-place finish, and captured the Championship by three points over Power.
 
Berube concluded by saying: “And, congratulations to Ryan Hunter-Reay and the No. 28 Andretti Autosport Chevrolet team on winning the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series’ Driver’s Championship as well as the A.J. Foyt Oval Track Championship! They fought hard to win the crown, and will be a great champion for the IZOD IndyCar Series, and for Chevrolet.”
 
Giving Team Chevy five of the top-10 finishers in tonight’s race were: Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Auto Club of Southern California Team Penske Chevrolet – fifth; Marco Andretti, No. 26 Team RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet – eighth, and Katherine Legge, No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing Chevrolet – ninth.
 
Completing the top-five finishers were Dario Franchitti (Honda) – second, and Scott Dixon (Honda) – third.
 
Chevrolet, in its first season back in IndyCar competition, captured the Series’ Manufacturers’ Championship with 11 victories in 15 races. In addition to Hunter-Reay’s two titles, Power captured the Road Course Championship for the third consecutive year.