Ed Carpenter Racing is an organization on the rise heading into the 2026 season, backed by the strengthened ownership group that formed when Indianapolis food magnate Ted Gelov joined the team in September 2024. That renewed push, alongside a forthcoming move into new facilities within the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, points directly to a team stepping forward.
Curt Cavin notes that this growing momentum already delivered a race win in August at Milwaukee courtesy of Christian Rasmussen, with expectations that both Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi will continue contending for victories. For Rasmussen, the upcoming campaign brings a crucial test of whether he can maintain that upward trajectory. The 25-year-old Dane closed out his previous campaign with top-10 finishes in five of six oval races, placing third in the series' oval points.
Eric Smith points out that turning into a true breakout driver requires him to sharpen his speed on road and street courses, where he landed 21st in points last year on the way to a 13th-place overall finish. Even so, the 2023 INDY NXT by Firestone champion heads into 2026 with notable stability, marking the first time in his career he returns to the exact same team and series for a third consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Paul Kelly emphasizes that 2026 is a massive year for Alexander Rossi. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner previously charged to second and third in the championship standings in 2018 and 2019 during his time at Andretti Global, before finishing ninth or 10th from 2020 through 2024 across stints with Andretti and Arrow McLaren. In his first season with Ed Carpenter Racing, Rossi finished 15th in the standings.
While that final position might look modest, Rossi played an instrumental part in guiding the squad toward greater consistency and served as an important mentor to Christian Rasmussen. Rossi will maintain that leadership role through 2026, though both driver and team recognize the need to find a higher gear to push back toward the front of the field and chase a first series win since 2022.
