On June 15, Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing earned his first IndyCar podium finish during the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Rallying twice from the back of the field, Rasmussen recovered an astonishing 22 positions to finish third behind winner Kyle Kirkwood and runner-up Pato O’Ward, marking a milestone in his IndyCar career.
Despite an early penalty for pitting while the pit lane was closed due to critically low fuel, forcing him down to 18th, Rasmussen’s determined efforts kept him in contention. His resilience was even more notable considering his team faced a pit lane fire earlier in the race. Ed Carpenter Racing’s team owner publicly lauded Rasmussen’s grit and ability to persevere through setbacks.
Overcoming Challenges with Strategic Adjustments and Skillful Overtaking
Rasmussen’s path to the podium was far from straightforward. He admitted the team struggled through practice and qualifying sessions, which nearly damaged their chances. However, the challenges motivated them to fine-tune the car’s setup effectively, unlocking newfound speed and handling during the race.
“No, not really. Not really. Just way to turn this weekend around. I think we really, really struggled in practice 1 as well as qualifying, but knew what we needed out of the car, and obviously hit some good changes for the race. Yeah, as soon as I kind of found out how well my car worked on the high side, it was just game on,” he said. —Christian Rasmussen, Driver
During the race, Rasmussen was forced to take emergency service due to running out of fuel, which relegated him to restart at the rear of the field. Yet, he rapidly made up for lost ground with a series of overtakes, once again moving through the field in impressive fashion.
“I was able to pass cars — we even got hosed one time with having to take emergency service because we were out of fuel, so I had to restart at the tail end, and that was kind of right at the point where I had kind of driven through most of the field and was up front but had to go to the back, drove through again, and man, we were just coming. It was awesome. I haven’t done one of these in a while, so it’s good,” he added. —Christian Rasmussen, Driver
Discovering the High Line: The Key to Reclaiming Positions
Rasmussen revealed that identifying the effectiveness of the high line at World Wide Technology Raceway was pivotal to his ability to overtake numerous competitors.
“As soon as I found out that the high line was so effective, like my car was so good up there both in (Turns) 1 and 2 and 3 and 4,” he said. “I just started running high, and I could just pass people.” —Christian Rasmussen, Driver
In the 260-lap event, Rasmussen executed 62 overtakes, the highest count among all drivers, demonstrating his aggressive yet calculated approach. His performance ended Ed Carpenter Racing’s three-year absence from the podium, revitalizing hope within the team.
Championship Standing and Upcoming Challenges
Following this breakthrough, Christian Rasmussen moves to 14th place in the IndyCar championship standings, having accumulated 138 points so far. With momentum restored, Rasmussen and Ed Carpenter Racing look ahead to the next race on the calendar.
Rasmussen will soon compete at the XPEL Grand Prix, scheduled for June 22 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where he aims to continue building on this career-best result and challenge for more top finishes.
