Ed Carpenter Racing Reshapes Leadership Structure

Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) will enter the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series with a notably refreshed organisational structure, as the Indiana-based team confirms a series of senior appointments and internal promotions ahead of its 15th season in America’s premier open-wheel championship. The changes reflect a clear intention to strengthen technical leadership, enhance performance processes and build long-term continuity across both sides of the garage.

Central to the restructuring is the promotion of Matt Barnes to Vice President of Competition. Barnes is one of the most experienced figures within the organisation and one of its original ten hires, bringing with him 23 years of experience in IndyCar competition. Having previously served as both race engineer and chief engineer, Barnes will now assume responsibility for overseeing ECR’s engineering department, strategy direction and competitive execution across the season. His elevation represents a deliberate move to place technical expertise at the core of senior management.

With Barnes stepping into his new role, further adjustments have been made within the engineering group. Quentin Montigaud has been promoted to Race Engineer for the No. 20 Chevrolet, driven by Alexander Rossi. Montigaud, whose professional career began in Formula E nine years ago, has spent his entire IndyCar tenure with ECR, most recently as Performance Engineer on the same entry. His promotion underscores the team’s commitment to developing talent internally and maintaining technical continuity.

Stability remains on the opposite side of the garage, where Pete Craik continues as Race Engineer for Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 Chevrolet. Craik, an Australian with 19 years of experience spanning Supercars, IndyCar and NASCAR, has held the role at ECR for seven seasons and has worked with Rasmussen since the Dane’s IndyCar debut in early 2024.

Beyond the race engineering structure, ECR has strengthened its development capabilities with the addition of Robert Gue as Senior Project Engineer. Gue brings 23 years of motorsport experience, having previously worked with Arrow McLaren and most recently PREMA. His focus will be on long-term technical development and project execution, areas increasingly critical in IndyCar’s cost-controlled environment.

Performance gains are also being pursued away from the timing stand. Chase Campbell joins the organisation full-time as Strength and Conditioning Coach and Pit Stop Coach. With a decade of experience working with collegiate and professional athletes, Campbell oversees physical training for crew members, daily pit stop practice for both race teams, and conditioning programmes for drivers Christian Rasmussen, Alexander Rossi and co-owner Ed Carpenter.

Adding further depth to competition management is Derek Davidson, who will work alongside Team President Tim Broyles. A former USAC driver, Davidson has built a 20-year IndyCar career as a fabricator, mechanic, crew chief and, more recently, team manager.

Leadership continuity remains assured at the top, with Ted Gelov continuing as co-owner and Ed Carpenter retaining his dual role as CEO and Indianapolis 500 driver.

Key Organisational Changes at ECR for 2026

As ECR approaches its 15th IndyCar campaign, the revised structure reflects a mature organisation focused on sustained competitiveness, internal development and operational excellence.