Ed Carpenter Racing has finalized its 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series driver lineup.
Jordan King will drive the No. 20 Chevrolet on the street and road courses while team owner Ed Carpenter will compete on the ovals. Spencer Pigot was confirmed as the full-time driver of the No. 21 in September, replacing JR Hildebrand.
King, 23, was the 2015 FIA Institute Driver of the Year and the 2013 British Formula 3 champion. He was a development driver for the now-defunct Manor F1 team for two years before competing in last season’s F2 championship with MP Motorsport.
“It’s taken a lot of effort,” King said. “I personally worked very hard towards it. It’s really been a goal ever since I popped out to Sonoma in 2016 and saw everything. I’ve worked towards it since then. I’m really pleased to get it announced and thankful to Ed for giving me the opportunity.
“I suppose European racing lends itself to road and street courses. With it being a stepping stone for me, I personally find this a good way to go. I’ll do the road and street courses and leave Ed and the experts to do the ovals and learn everything I can. That will help me in the future.”
His goal for the upcoming season is to prove he’s worthy of a full-time position for the 2019 IndyCar campaign. It was when he visited Sonoma over a year ago that he met Carpenter. Since then, King has spent time at ECR headquarters in Indianapolis.
“We’re very excited to welcome Jordan to the ECR family,” Carpenter said in a team release. “He is a very motivated, intelligent and hungry driver, which is exactly what we are looking for at ECR. Jordan has had a lot of success and experience in Europe, and I can’t wait to see what he is capable of with ECR in the Verizon IndyCar Series.”