Twenty-four hours after Ed Carpenter Racing and Conor Daly parted ways, the team announced that Ryan Hunter-Reay will drive the No. 20 Bitnile.com Chevrolet full-time starting next weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America on Sunday, June 18th, at 1 pm on USA Network.
“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed. He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help,” said Hunter-Reay. “Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in Bitnile.com.”
The 42-year-old from Dallas, Texas, recently completed in the 107th Indianapolis 500 for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. He started in the 18th position, led eight laps, and finished in 11th place. It was his first IndyCar race in two years. He last competed full-time in 2021 for Andretti Autosport.
In 2022, Hunter-Reay competed in two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races for Cadillac Racing at Sebring and Road Atlanta. In addition, he ran full-time in the SRX Series and finished eighth in the point standings with one heat win.
“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” said Owner Ed Carpenter. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”
Before joining Andretti in 2010, he raced for Tony George, A.J. Foyt, and Rahal Letterman Racing in his first three years. His first IndyCar win came at Watkins Glen International in 2008 with Rahal Letterman Racing.
After spending time with Tony George and A.J. Foyt in 2009, Andretti brought Reay in 2010. His career took off. His first win with Andretti came at the 2010 Grand Prix of Long Beach. He won two races and six podium finishes in his first two years with Andretti before a career-defining moment in 2012.
He was battling Will Power for the championship. In the final race at Auto Club Speedway, Reay finished in fourth while Will Power crashed, resulting in Reay winning the championship by three points over Power. Reay finished the 2012 season with one pole, four wins, and six podium finishes.
In 2014, he added his name to a long list of legends by winning the Indianapolis 500 over Helio Castroneves. He would win three races that season, along with one pole and six podium finishes. In his twelve years with Andretti, Reay has made 186 starts with six poles, fifteen wins, and 42 podium finishes.
