IndyCar rookie Sage Karam says he’s ‘no villain’ after ruffling Ed Carpenter’s feathers amid his aggressive tactics in the closing stages of last weekend’s Iowa race.
Karam landed his first podium finish in the series after some close quarter battles with Carpenter over the final 20 laps of the 300-lap encounter.
The 20-year-old Chip Ganassi driver is second in the rookie-of-the-year standings behind Bryan Herta Autosport’s Gabby Chaves.
At the finish of the race Carpenter stormed down pit lane on foot and launched a verbal tirade at Karam who was yet to exit his #8 Chevrolet.
Karam said that Carpenter, who eventually finished sixth, had blasted him about not showing enough respect and that he ‘needed to grow up.’
Grilled about the incident in an IndyCar teleconference, Karam explained he chose to drive hard because the race was entering its closing stages.
“If I were to go do the race over again, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Karam said.
“I think I just raced him (Carpenter) hard. I gave him room. It’s 20 laps to go in the race.
“I raced him like it was 20 laps to go in the race. If I did that the first 20 laps of the race, then I could see why he’d be mad.”
Karam said he is yet to clear the air with Carpenter, co-owner/driver of the Carpenter Fisher Hartman squad, who is considered an oval specialist but has endured a difficult season.
Nazareth native Karam denied any notion he had been reckless during the scrap with Carpenter which saw the more experienced driver gesticulating with his hand at the rookie.
“I don’t think I’m like a villain,” Karam said.
“The only thing I do is I just drive hard. I drive like a rookie, I guess you could say.
“I drive out there like I’ve got something to prove, because I do have something to prove.
“I take risks. I take every risk as a calculated risk.”
Karam says that he had a lengthy discussion the day after the race with long-time former Ganassi driver Dario Franchitti who maintains an advisory role with the team.
“He (Dario) watched the replay of me and Ed those last few laps we were battling,” Karam said.
“He said he thinks I did nothing wrong. He’s the guy who will tell me if I do something wrong.
“I haven’t pleased Dario a lot this season, but there’s been a select few times.
“He said Iowa was probably the most pleased he’s been with me.
“About the whole Ed Carpenter situation, he just thinks that’s hard racing and I shouldn’t have done anything different.“
The feud comes as IndyCar has announced an overhaul to the rule relating to driver conduct which it insists is ‘not a gag order’.
The addition to Rule 9.3.8 says: ‘Competitors must be respectful, professional, fair and courteous to others. At all times, competitors must not, attempt to, or engage in conduct or statements that in the judgement of IndyCar:
a) Threatens or denigrates any Official, fellow Competitor or the IndyCar brand;
b) Calls into question the integrity or legitimacy of the Rules or their application, construction or interpretation;
c) Denigrates the IndyCar Series racing schedule or Event(s);
d) Threatens or denigrates any IndyCar business relationship, including those with sponsors or broadcasters;
e) Otherwise threatens the integrity, reputation or public confidence of the sport, IndyCar, or IndyCar Series.
The IndyCar series will resume at Mid Ohio from July 31 to August 2 for Round 13 ahead of the closing races at Pocono and Sonoma’.
See below video of Carpenter’s account of the incident with Sage Karam
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