Former Panther Racing driver JR Hildebrand could write a book on enduring aggressive, belittling and controlling behavior as an IndyCar rookie, but rather than dwell on the past, he’s focused all of his efforts on adding a positive new chapter that could revitalize his career.

Spending two and a half seasons in a constant state of internal strife was hardly the recipe to build confidence within a young IndyCar driver, yet after getting a taste of the professionalism and camaraderie within Ed Carpenter Racing during the Month of May, the 26-year-old says he wants nothing more than to be a part of the combined ECR+Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing effort next season.

“I came into this year thinking I needed to find the best fit instead of knocking on everybody’s doors courting everybody, and for me, it really started by putting this deal together to run Indy with Ed’s team,” Hildebrand told RACER. “It wasn’t my only opportunity, but I thought it would be a good home, and since then it has been my primary focus. Ed and I had something as teammates that I’ve never experienced and I’d like to be a part of that group again.”

The 2011 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year qualified ninth for ECR and finished 10th during his only appearance of the season (BELOW). Under the new CFH Racing banner in 2015, Carpenter, who will continue to contest the ovals, will be joined by Josef Newgarden. The CFH outfit still has some work to be done on completing its full roster and engine supplier solution, and once the planning is done, Hildebrand hopes to be part of the all-American lineup.

“We’ve worked on trying to continue the [Indy 500] program later this year, and for a variety of reasons, it didn’t pan out, so starting about a month ago, we shifted our efforts to find something to get me in a car next year,” Hildebrand added.

“I want to be there; I had a different experience there than I’ve had for a long time and I want to have it again. Our chemistry was phenomenal. I think the chances of working together again are good, but it’s a question of to what extent. And I also have to be ready for other opportunities.”

Plenty of speculation has surrounded the look of CFH Racing’s final roster. Newgarden is a full-time entry in the No. 67 car, Carpenter will race the ovals in the No. 20, and rumors of third, full-season entry – possibly for Hildebrand – have also made the rounds.

Carpenter’s successful car sharing program with Mike Conway has delivered three wins for the team this season, and while the ECR team owner/driver would like to have the Briton back in the saddle, it’s unclear whether Conway will accept ECR’s part-time IndyCar drive or take one of the full-time offers to race in the World Endurance Championship. Once a more definite direction on Conway is reached, Hildebrand’s future with the team should be known.

“I thought he did a really good job in May and you never know how someone’s going to perform until you work with them, and with how well things went in May, I want to do something with him,” Carpenter told RACER. “Now we have to figure out a way to make that happen. He’s been really great. We’ve let him know what’s going on the whole way through our deal [with SFHR]. There’s mutual interest. It’s just a matter of finding the right situation to make it work. That’s the hard part; you don’t know when, how, or if it will work, but we would like to put something together for him if we can.”

Carpenter dismissed the notion of three full-time CFH Racing entries in 2015.

“I think that’s speculation,” he continued. “We have Josef [Newgarden] in the 67 car, and as Ed Carpenter Racing is right now, the intent is to continue running myself and Mike [Conway] in the role that we’re currently in. Things could ultimately change, but that’s more speculation than anything.”

For Hildebrand, a return to the IndyCar Series would serve as a career reboot after a turbulent opening stint with Panther, and whether it’s in an Indy-only drive, sharing a car with Carpenter or in a third entry for however many races, the Californian is clearly motivated to create a fresh start for himself.

After earning the Firestone Indy Lights Championship in 2009, Hildebrand spent 2010 searching for opportunitues and was named as Dan Wheldon’s Panther replacement for 2011. He showed glimpses of brilliance while representing the National Guard-sponsored team before parting ways after the 2013 Indy 500, and closed the season driving for Bryan Herta Autosport in the No. 98 Honda. If he can engineer a comeback, Hildebrand knows there are a few doubters and plenty of unfinished business to handle.

“First and foremost, I want to be back competing at a high level with a quality team at the Indy 500, second for me is wanting to close the deal on ovals, and third is wanting to end any speculation about my ability to close the deal on road courses,” Hildebrand explained. “So with those three things driving me and what I want to achieve, being able to do that with a team like what Ed and Tim Broyles have put together, and with what Sarah Fisher and Andy O’Gara and Wink [Hartman] have created on Josef’s side, I think any driver in my position would be crazy not to do everything in their power to become a part of that family.”

Hildebrand was a regular presence in the ECR pits throughout last weekend’s race in Sonoma, and after watching Conway come close to victory (RIGHT) and Newgarden run toward the front all day, his motivation has only increased.

“To be honest, I would love nothing more than to have Ed as my teammate on the ovals and Newgarden as my teammate on road courses,” he admitted. “There’s a lot that needs to fall into place for that to happen, but recognizing how significant the impact the morale factor, the communication factor, the transparency factor, there’s no underestimating that it’s a group of drivers where we could go haul ass every weekend and have a lot of fun while doing it

“That’s what I’m aiming for next year. It’s been an interesting, introspective time for me – being out of the car and looking at things with a fresh pair of eyes. I know what I want and who I want to go racing with, and I’ll keep working until we make something happen.”​