Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing knows team co-owner Ed Carpenter will drive the No. 20 Chevy on ovals, and that Josef Newgarden will pilot the No. 67 Chevy at every round. Finding a driver solution for the No. 20 on road and street courses remains the final piece of the puzzle for CFH to solve.

With Carpenter’s race-winning teammate Mike Conway expected to be confirmed as a full-time member of the Toyota Racing WEC sports car program, the search for CFH’s third driver continues.

“We’re evaluating everything: We’re looking at the guys we know, seeing what’s out there – some who might not be so obvious. We’re talking to JR [Hildebrand] as well; he’s big on our radar. We want to make sure we get the right person with the right fit to partner with Josef,” Carpenter told RACER.

As one of few Verizon IndyCar Series teams with a seat to offer, CFHR has a deep talent pool to choose from. Hildebrand, Oriol Servia, Simona de Silvestro, Luca Filippi, Sage Karam, and even a brand-new F1 refugee like Jean-Eric Vergne would make excellent road and street racing options for the Fuzzy’s vodka-sponsored car. With a job to offer and a relaxed timetable on his side, Carpenter says he’s in no rush to sign his next teammate.

“There are many things that need to be done properly when assembling a new team, so getting the fit right and everything else right is important, obviously,” he added. “We made a good choice last year [with Conway], and hopefully we make a good choice this year.”