REGO-FIX powRgrip 刀柄助 Ed Carpenter Racing 提速高速铣削

INDYCAR regulations list several parts race teams can make themselves to help reduce the cost of putting cars on the track. Most of those parts are suspension components, such as dampers, and various chassis elements like front and rear rocker components. Teams can also produce other items, such as throttles and brake pedals for instance. When an INDYCAR team like Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR), located in Indianapolis, Indiana, produces parts in house, they not only save significant amounts of money, they also change and tweak those components to improve the overall performance of their cars.  

Ultimately, the expectations for the ECR race cars and machine shop are the same: go fast. There is always a need for the parts produced in-house, because cars get damaged on the track or parts simply wear out.  

ECR machines a majority of its parts from aluminum 7075 and 7075 T6 aluminum. Many of these parts are for modifications to the race car’s dampers which provide stability and help increase fuel mileage. 

Currently, ECR fields two cars for the full season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and three cars for the Indianapolis 500. It employs roughly 75, three of which run the team’s machine shop, and there are typically four mechanics and one crew chief per car. In addition to building cars, the team also disassembles them throughout the season to conduct component crack tests and check suspension components between races.   

The shop typically produces parts for one race season at a time and will make extras beyond that amount for stock. These aren’t high volume jobs but instead involve many smaller associated parts that the teams need on a regular basis, such as various types of fasteners and brackets. 

To accomplish both part cost reduction and production speed, ECR acquired a full 5-axis CNC milling machine with a maximum spindle speed of 24,000 rpm. Unfortunately, the team quickly realized that cutters spinning that fast required the right toolholders.  

“The holders we initially used resulted in some serious runout at 24,000 rpm, which hindered our ability to hold part tolerances,” explained Brent “Woody” Harvey, ECR Engineering Manager. “We need to hold tolerances typically to within +/- 0.003”, but for critical damper parts, tolerances must be within +/-0.0002”.  

With the driver top of mind, Harvey added, “Plus, we have to maintain smooth surface finishes because there are several mating components that fit together and slide up and down, and the less friction the better to help the car maintain its stability and handling.” 

Noted Harvey, if the team kept using their original holders, the shop would have to machine at slower spindle speeds. This would not only defeat the purpose of having a high-speed machine but would also slow part production significantly. 

During a visit with its machine tool supplier, ECR asked for a tooling solution and was advised to contact REGO-FIX, a Swiss-made tooling OEM with its North American Headquarters in Whitestown, Ind. After meeting with REGO-FIX, the team incorporated the company’s powRgrip tooling system. 

The powRgrip toolholders are balanced by design to combat tool runout. And in terms of speed, holder assemblies are balanceable for use at speeds up to 42,000 rpm. Additionally, the vibration-dampening taper-to-taper, press-fit collet-holding design of the powRgrip system creates a juncture point, or gap, that essentially interrupts the waves of vibration – caused by runout – to reduce their strength and severity.  

REGO-FIX helped ECR overcome the challenges of high-speed machining. With the new holders, the team maintains precision and critical surface finishes, extends tool life, minimizes tool runout, and shortens cycle times for productive part processing.  

Harvey said the team now machines parts at full 24,000 rpm spindle speed for the majority of the time, which would be impossible without the powRgrip system. As a result, jobs that once took two or three weeks are now done in a couple hours. Such capability allows the shop to mill more intricate car parts, including those it will eventually 3D metal print and finish cut on the milling machine.  

Noted ECR’s Director of Team Partnerships, Jason Clark, the work with REGO-FIX resulted in the tooling company becoming an ECR technical partner. “Our REGO-FIX partnership is very important to us and has progressed and strengthened each year over the past three years,” Clark said. “They allow us to reap the benefits of high-speed machining with their tooling.  “In turn, we provide hospitality for REGO-FIX to utilize at our races throughout the season and promote  the partnership through our social channels, and branding on our race cars, as well as on garage and team equipment.. We’re proud to have REGO-FIX as  the official high-performance toolholding system of ECR.” 

ECR’s part production depends on high-speed machining. When ECR puts their drivers in cars made to hit speeds of more than 200 mph, every component is critical, especially those machined in-house. Excessive tool runout during machining costs the team time and money. More importantly, it threatens the integrity of those parts and puts drivers at risk. 

At the heart of ECR’s partnership with REGO-FIX is trust. Trust in its toolholders that allow the shop to run at 100% spindle speed and trust in the end product that allow the team’s race cars to run at top speed.  

ECR at the Starting Line 

A new team arrived on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES grid in 2012: Ed Carpenter Racing. Ed Carpenter, the only driver who owns and operates his own team, led his team to victory in its first year as he took the checkered flag in the season finale. Now with over 430 race starts, 2026 will mark ECR’s 15th season of competition.  

ECR’s ownership group is comprised of four Indianapolis businessmen: Carpenter, Ted Gelov, Tony George and Stuart Reed. Gelov, owner of Heartland Food Products Group, joined the team prior to the 2025 season and has led the organization into a rejuvenated new era. Heartland FPG is best known for their consumer brands Splenda and Java House Coffee.  ECR will begin construction on a brand-new facility in the coming year and will be located on the Grand Park Campus in Westfield, Ind. 

ECR’s 2025 campaign was its best in several years, highlighted by Christian Rasmussen’s victory in the second-to-last race of the season at the Milwaukee Mile. Rasmussen’s win returned ECR to Victory Lane for the first time since 2021. Coupled with teammate Alexander Rossi’s season-best 4th place result in the same race, it was the first time ECR placed both cars in the Top 5 since 2015. The duo brought home a combined 13 Top 10 finishes in 2025, Rossi’s first with ECR and Rasmussen’s second. Both will continue with the team in 2026 while Carpenter will round out the team’s three-car lineup in the Indianapolis 500. 

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