INDIANAPOLIS Ed Carpenter Racing unveiled a new look on Monday morning, including a new logo and brand colors ahead of the NTT IndyCar Series season.

As the team enters its next era with expanded ownership, new partners and a powerful driver lineup, Ed Carpenter Racing will fully rebrand into its ECR moniker, leaning into a modern logo and emblematic colors to reflect the teams legacy, deep Indianapolis roots and passion for the sport.

ECRs ownership group is now comprised of four Indianapolis businessmen: Ed Carpenter, Ted Gelov, Tony George and Stuart Reed. Gelov, owner of Heartland Food Products Group, is the newest addition to the team.

ECRs updated identity coincides with the teams new era. The brand features new fonts and colors, including a shade the team has dubbed Indiana Gold as an acknowledgement of the teams deep Hoosier roots. ECRs abbreviation sits inside an oval shape as a nod to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

While Carpenter formed ECR prior to the 2012 IndyCar Series season, his family legacy within the sport dates back to 1945. Anton Tony Hulman Jr. purchased the IMS to prevent it from closing following World War II and generations of the Hulman-George family operated the historic track until 2020.

After 13 years of competing for and operating Ed Carpenter Racing, I am very proud of our history and am as equally excited about our future, Carpenter said. This new brand has been in the works for months and I am thrilled to share it with our current and future fans.

To me, this is symbolic of the next phase in ECRs evolution as we take aggressive steps towards getting back to victory lane and contending for championships. I cannot wait to kick of the 2025 season!

We are evolving as an organization with a focus on innovation and a culture that strives for excellence. Our team is filled with talented drivers, engineers, mechanics and commercial members. I am thrilled to be a part of the future of ECR! said Gelov, Chairman of ECR.

As the IndyCar Series season approaches, ECR has welcomed veteran driver and Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi to the team. Rossi will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 Chevrolet and will be joined by teammate Christian Rasmussen, now full-time driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet.

Rasmussen completed an impressive rookie season in the No. 20, including earning the distinction of the highest finishing rookie in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 field. Carpenter will round out the teams three-car lineup in the Indianapolis 500 as he completes in his hometown race for the 22nd time.

ECRs new identity will be reflected across all aspects of the teams operations moving forward and fans can expect a compelling new look as the season starts. The new designs for Rossis No. 20 and Rasmussens No. 21 will be released in the coming weeks.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Daytona Intl Speedway officials announced Monday that the 67^th running of the Daytona 500 is officially sold out, with fans expected to pack the historic racing venue once again for NASCARs season opener.

Along with the sellout announcement, the World Center of Racing has also released the date for next years Daytona 500, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.

The DAYTONA 500 continues to be a spectacle of elite racing and entertainment, and the consecutive sellouts just prove this event is one of a kind, said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona Intl Speedway. You can quite literally feel the atmosphere from the moment Speedweeks begins. The crowd is buzzing with excitement and every team, from the driver to the crew chief, is eager to get their season started.

It all comes to a head when that green flag drops on Sunday, Feb. 16, and I cant wait to see what this years Daytona 500 has in store for us.

After a wildly competitive 2024 season that saw 18 different race winners, three of the closest finishes in NASCAR history, and crowned Joey Logano as a three-time champion, the season opening Daytona 500 is sure to be a thriller.

Last year, William Byron came out on top after a hectic last few laps, earning his first Daytona 500 win and securing the victory for Hendrick Motorsports in their 40th anniversary year.

Hell become the latest driver to attempt back-to-back victories of The Great American Race. The last driver to win consecutive Daytona 500s was Denny Hamlin, who earned the title in 2019 and 2020.

Though grandstand tickets and camping are sold out for Sundays marquee event, limited upgrades and premium packages are still available.

The competition begins on Wednesday, Feb. 12 with Daytona 500 Qualifying presented by Busch Light, setting the front row for The Great American Race. Qualifying also sets the field for a pair of head-to-head battles in the Duel At Daytona on Thursday, Feb. 13, where drivers fight for their starting position in the 67th running of the Daytona 500.

The intensity increases on Friday, Feb. 14 as the Craftsman Truck Series season-opening Fresh From Florida 250 takes the green flag under the lights of the famed track. Then on Saturday, Feb. 15, fans can enjoy a jam-packed day of on-track action with the kickoff to the ARCA Menards Series season followed by the United Rentals 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

TULSA, Okla. Decades before the first Chili Bowl was staged, indoor midget racing was held at the Tulsa Fairgrounds. The site was the circular Tulsa Pavilion which still stands on the northwest corner of the property.

Californians Bob Barkhimer and Jerry Piper spearheaded the idea, in conjunction with Tulsa businessman John C. Mullins. Piper and Barkhimer had deep roots in the sport, and both men were destined for the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Barkhimer began racing midgets in 1937 and continued to compete until a flip at Bakersfield, Calif., put him out of commission until the end of World War II. When hostilities ceased, he accepted a ride in Abdo Allens Drake powered car. In 1945, he notched five straight wins at Vallejo, Calif., and was on his way to the Bay Cities Racing Assn title.

After suffering an injury in 1947, he accepted a post as the BCRA business manager and was soon recognized as an outstanding and creative promoter, In 1949, he took the reins at San Jose Speedway and in that same year launched the California Stock Car Racing Assn with Piper. He was a key figure in NASCARS West Coast operations. It was Barkhimer who had the foresight to bring BCRA to the Oakland Exposition building in 1949 and indoor racing became an important facet of the clubs storied history. The man known as Barky died in 2006 at the age of 90.

Some consider Piper to be one of the most underrated midget racers of his time. Born in Havre, Montana, recognized as one of Americas coldest locations, Piper relocated to Oakland. A four-sport athlete at Technical High School, Piper turned down a chance to demonstrate his skills in college to race roadsters against the likes of Fred Agabashian.

He began racing midgets in 1937 and was the champion at Neptune Beach in 1940 and 1941. Before racing activities were halted due to the war Piper had travelled to the Midwest scoring a win at Kansas Citys famed Olympic Stadium. After his stint in the service, he returned to midgets having success with the BCRA and the United Racing Assn. Piper died in 1994.

John C. Mullins is commonly referred to as a roller rink operator. He was a bit more than that. From 1937 to 1948, Mullins operated a popular amusement park located in southwest Tulsa known as Crystal City. Included on the property was Casa Loma, a music hall that featured popular bands such as Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. The spacious facility had enough room to accommodate 1,500 dancers. The park had finely manicured grounds for picnics, shelters, a plethora of rides, and what was reputed to be the largest swimming pool in Oklahoma. He had a flair for promotion.

The first scheduled race at the Pavilion was presented on Oct. 1, 1949. Johnnie Parsons, who in 1949 ran second in the Indianapolis 500 and won the national championship was the first under the checkered flag. However, a scoring error revealed that Bob Slater, behind the wheel of Lee Sloans Offy was the actual winner.

While Slater, a National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee, is best known for his work in bigger cars, he was a terrific midget racer. He had switched from motorcycles to midgets in 1947 and in 1951 was the Kansas City Midget Auto Racing Assn champion. Slater won three of the 12 races contested at the Pavilion.

Other winners included Bud Camden, Mel Wainwright, Carlos Langston and Jay King. Heading into the Dec. 9 race, three men Angelo Howerton,  Bud Hemphill and Buzz Barton were tied at the top of the standings.

On this night, Barton took the lead with a win in the Gibson Brothers Offy to move to the head of the class. The championship was decided on Jan. 14, 1950. King, a man who stood well over six feet tall and clocked in at two hundred pounds, drove into the winners circle while Barton claimed the overall title.

The three championship combatants were an impressive lot. Howerton represented a great racing clan, one that has remained active in the sport for decades. Barton, a native of Oklahoma raced midgets and sprint cars across the land for decades, sadly Hemphill lost his life at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City on May 15, 1950.

Chili Bowl founders Emmett Hahn and Lanny Edwards could have easily empathized with Bob Barkhimer, Jerry Piper and John C Mullins. They did their part to assemble a talented field for these indoor races. Beyond those already mentioned the list included Jud Larson, Vito Calia, Cotton Musick and Lloyd Ruby.

The arena, which was used for rodeo and livestock shows was dirt. To get the place in shape some posts were removed, asphalt was laid down and walls were constructed of wood. Mullins negotiated with fairgrounds officials and assured them the pavement would be removed before the traditional shows booked for January would open. Then there was the problem of heat. It was so cold that portable heaters were used to try to keep customers from freezing and the results were mediocre at best.

In an arena that could hold 6,000 only about 1,000 people on average were willing to plop down the $1 admission fee. The promotional group, which included Jerry Pipers wife Alyce, did everything in their power to draw a crowd. Even their newspaper ads were quirky. Running out of fresh ideas they tried a desperate measure. They contacted an ex-paratrooper named Bob Niles. Niles, a man who in many ways was ahead of his time, had parachuted off the Golden Gate Bridge on April 15, 1949. To say it caused a sensation would be a vast understatement. It is a story that is still periodically resurrected in the Bay area. Barkhimer and Piper knew all about Niles because he had occasionally been hired to drop into California race tracks as a stunt, sometimes in a bird costume.

Thus, it was leaked to the press that a driver set to compete that evening was going to parachute into town at noon. Sure enough, at the appointed time Niles, adorned in a racers uniform complete with a helmet and goggles landed on a two-story office building in the 100 block of East Second Street. According to Hall of Fame announcer and historian Bill Hill he was soon greeted by a representative of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and the police who threatened to arrest him for creating a public disturbance.

The press was also on hand and Niles was soon heard on local radio. It was great publicity.

Piper found a car for Niles to drive and offered a crash course in midget racing, Barkhimer watched it all unfold and later offered a silent thank you when the car blew an engine. Soon Niles was packed away safely on a bus, and the promoters waited patiently for people to storm the gate. That didnt happen. Sadly, this group also had little success at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Coliseum and folded their tents in Oklahomas capital city after two races.

Perhaps this adventure was an artistic success because financially it was a flop. Barkhimer reported that when it was all said and done, he was left with $35 to get back to California.

As for Niles, he pulled similar stunts all across the country. Some of Niles attempts in what we now call base jumping were not so successful. One noteworthy failure was captured in a Life magazine spread. Dressed up as Santa Claus, Niles inked a deal to parachute into a Florida city.

Unfortunately, he got tangled up in some high wires above the parking lot where he intended to land. It was a bad look for Santa. On a more serious note, in 1950 he nearly died when his chute failed in a jump off a bridge located on Colorado Street in Sacramento known as the suicide bridge. He survived and was signed to a contract by Lucky Louie Schultz of the Lucky Auto Daredevils thrill show.

Stunt artists and racing have a long history. Some go well, others go south Emmett Hahn and Lanny Edwards learned all about that, too.

PLAINFIELD, Ill. Road to Indy graduate Jacob Abel will drive the Dale Coyne Racing No. 51 entry for the entire NTT IndyCar Series season.

After a year in which multiple drivers piloted the No. 51 and No. 18 cars at DCR, the team announced its first of two drivers for this season.

We are excited about running another Indy NXT by Firestone Vice-Champion here at Dale Coyne Racing, Team Owner Dale Coyne said. We have watched Jacob over the years and did an evaluation test with him at the end of the 2023 season, where he showed great promise in these cars.

It will be good to run one driver in the No. 51 car for the whole season, so that we can work on the consistency needed in the highly competitive NTT IndyCar Series. Our plans for our second driver are coming along quite nicely, and we will have more news on that in approximately three weeks.

Jacob Abel, from Louisville, Kentucky, has climbed the Road to Indy ladder with great success. After cutting his teeth in Formula 4 and F-3, he moved up to Indy Pro 2000 in 2019, where he competed for three years. Abel then entered the top rung of the ladder in Indy NXT for the next three years, showing improvement each season by finishing eighth, fifth and second in the year-long championships.

Lastyear, Abel competed at the front of the field, finishing on the podium in 10 of the series 14-race season and winning three races.

In the fall of 2023, Abel received a call from Dale Coyne to participate in an evaluation day at Sebring (Fla.) Intl Raceway. Abel adapted quickly to the pinnacle open-wheel IndyCar and impressed his suitors.

Its a lifelong dream come true I cant thank everyone whos helped out along the way enough, said Abel. Ive had a great relationship with Dale for the last couple of years, and Im very thankful for the confidence he has in me. The team has some very experienced personnel joining and returning to the program, and I have full confidence they will deliver a great race car and help me learn the ropes of the NTT IndyCar Series.

Its going to be a fun but challenging journey, and I cant wait to get started.

Abel will begin testing at The Thermal Club in California at the end of January and will then participate in the Sebring open test in preparation for his rookie debut at the Streets of St. Petersburg (Fla.) at the end of February.

TULSA, Okla. Two-time Chili Bowl Nationals winner Kyle Larson is the only winner of the prestigious event in the field during Monday nights 2nd Opinion Auto Qualifying Night.

The 39th Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink at the SageNet Center opens its six-night run with a full card of preliminary night qualifying action capped by a 30-lap feature and also includes the annual running of the OReilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions, which features 19 drivers (including Larson) this season.

Larson, who won the Chili Bowl back-to-back in 2020 and 2021 will steer Paul Silvas No. 1k midget in pursuit of Saturday nights $20,000 top prize.

You have to go forward every time you are on the track, Larson said during practice on Sunday. It gets tough on Saturday night, but the prelim nights are so spread out that as long as you do your job, you can be in position. I look forward to it.

Last year was kind of hectic, said Larson. I wasnt comfortable with things. This year, we are prepared. We have Sunshine (Tyler Courtney) running the other car, too, so that will double the notebook.

Possibly Larsons greatest challenger on opening night will be reigning Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series champion Cannon McIntosh, who will wheel the No. 71k machine for Keith Kunz Motorsports Curb-Agajanian.

Among the other contenders on opening night will be Ashton Torgerson, Shane Golobic, Brent Crews, Jerry Coons Jr., Tanner Carrick, Zach Wigal and Justin Peck.

Notables in the Monday night field include late model racer Nick Hoffman, NASCAR racer Josh Bilicki and sprint car veterans Cap Henry, Mario Clouser, Bill Balog, Briggs Danner and Joe B. Miller.