Ed Carpenter Racing has announced that Josef Newgarden will not be returning to the team in 2017. The 25-year-old American's departure from the Indianapolis-based team will be taken as a sign by many that he is poised to join Team Penske next season in place of Juan Pablo Montoya. Newgarden, who first joined ECR last season following its merger with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, has seen his stock rise during the course of a 2016 campaign in which he placed fourth overall and best non-Penske driver. He also secured his third career IndyCar win with arguably the season's most dominant performance at Iowa Speedway. Legally, Newgarden was unable to negotiate with rival teams until September...
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