Ed Carpenter and Ryan Staub on Motorsports and the Indy 500

In this episode of The Sports Umbrella presented by GalwayPlus, host Kelly Okun interviews Ed Carpenter and Ryan Staub. Ed is the only IndyCar racer and team owner (Ed Carpenter Racing) and has three wins and four poles (fastest qualifying times giving you the #1 position going into a race), three of which were for the Indianapolis 500. Ed will be racing in his 23rd Indy 500 this week in his No. 33 Chevrolet.

Ryan has a successful background in high-level amateur racing and breathes motorsports, so it was no surprise he stayed in the industry and honed his insurance and risk management skills. After his 20+ years in and around the track, he is the Principal of EPIC Motorsports Insurance, a new partner of Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR).

Ed and Ryan open up the conversation explaining the differences between IndyCar, NASCAR and Formula 1. Ed dives deeper into his origin story and racing career and how he decided to become owner of his own team. Similarly, Ryan shares his start in the motorsports world as a driver and how his experience and love of the sport influenced his career choices. They explain all the opportunities you can find to work in the sport you love.

They then introduce their partnership and the beginning stages of working with the Heartland Food Products Group, whose portfolio includes Splenda®, Java House® and SlimFast®. After diving into the role of insurance in motorsports, they chat about the industry’s growth as a whole and where racing will be in 5-10 years. Ed and Ryan draw many interesting parallels between everyday car consumers like us and the development of racing technologies and distinctly contrast IndyCar and F1.

For racing fans and those looking to understand what’s happening on May 24, 2026, at the Indy 500, this episode is for you!