Ed Carpenter, Special to the Register

This is the first of three blogs for the Register by Ed Carpenter, 33, who owns Ed Carpenter Racing and drives the team's No. 20 Chevrolet on oval tracks in the Verizon IndyCar Series.

I hope everyone gets a chance to get out to Iowa Speedway this weekend to see the Verizon IndyCar Series as it presents the Iowa Corn Indy 300 at Iowa Speedway. I'll be writing a handful of blogs throughout the event, starting with this one.

First, an introduction is in order. I'm Ed Carpenter, driver of the No. 20 Chevrolet-powered Dallara and the series' only driver/owner. When I'm not competing in races held on oval tracks, I'm overseeing the details at Ed Carpenter Racing. We're a one-car, two-driver operation — Mike Conway drives the car on road and street courses. We're a small team based in Indianapolis and sponsored by Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka.

If you don't know the story of Fuzzy's, it was started by golfer Fuzzy Zoeller, an Indiana boy who won the Master's in 1979. He's become a major part of our team and a great friend. He'll be around the track this weekend telling stories and offering support. If you see him, shake his hand. He's an American legend, and we're proud to have him and Fuzzy's on board.

So let me tell you a little about my experience with Iowa Speedway specifically and racing in Iowa in general. I've raced at this track six times — all but one of the IndyCar races held here since the track opened in 2007. We always seem to run well here — last year's fourth-place finish was our best at Iowa — but I'm always looking to improve.

I love the racing scene here in Iowa. My background is on short tracks, and I'm familiar with two of the state's other renowned racetracks. I raced at the first USAC Silver Crown Series race at Knoxville Raceway in 2000, and I raced at Hawkeye Downs in a Silver Crown car around that same time, as well.

My background is sprints and midgets, and that's where my IndyCar oval skills come from. I appreciate the enthusiasm and background of Iowa racers and race fans. It's a lot like Indiana. You can go anywhere in Iowa and you won't be far from a racetrack. That's what I'm used to and where I came from.

I'm hoping we'll be able to carry the momentum from our win last month at Texas Motor Speedway, the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 and Mike's win at Long Beach in April into the one trophy I've always wanted to take home — the gas pump from the Iowa Corn Indy 300.

So follow along this week as I share my thoughts and experiences with the The Des Moines Register. I certainly hope you get the chance to join us in person. It's a sensational show.

Talk to you soon!

Ed Carpenter won the pole position for the last two Indianapolis 500s and won last month at Texas Motor Speedway. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, and children Makenna, Ryder and Cruz. Follow Carpenter on Twitter @edcarpenter20.