CFH Racing lands deal with State of Indiana
"Indiana is recognized as the motorsports capital of the world and we're building a reputation we like to say as 'a state that works,'" Smith said during the brief ceremony at the Performance Racing Industry trade show at the Indiana Convention Center. "This Hoosier team has delivered on the racetrack and it mirrors our state's success in building an economy and business environment that is attracting billions of dollars in investment."
Motorsports in Indiana is a multimillion dollar industry that employees thousands of individuals. IUPUI, a university in downtown Indianapolis, has the only motorsports engineering undergrad and graduate programs in the nation, and the Dallara IndyCar Factory next door to the CFH Racing facility supports multiple motorsports platforms.
"Sarah and I have built our lives here, built our businesses here and to partner with the state – the state that works – and show people that it is a great place to grow your business or start your business is our mission," Carpenter said. "It is a natural partnership."
The team operates out of a modern shop on Main Street in Speedway, Ind., near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Carpenter competes in oval races (he won at Texas Motor Speedway in June and earned the Verizon P1 Award for the Indianapolis 500 for the second consecutive year in May) as the lone owner/driver in the series. Fisher, who started Sarah Fisher Racing in 2008, retired from Indy car competition in 2010. At 19 years old, she is the youngest female to compete in the Indy 500.
"Personally, the State of Indiana helped me back in 2008 when I had a sponsor that failed to pay, and one by one Hoosiers came together and had a viral campaign that raised almost $75,000," Fisher said. "It was such an impact on me to have this kind of community support so representing the state means so much to me."
Josef Newgarden enters his fourth season as the team's other full-season driver. The 2015 season kicks off in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 8.