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TORONTO – Reintroducing Luca Filippi.

He’s from Italy, was runner-up in the 2011 GP2 Series championship, has been a Sky Sport analyst for INDYCAR and Formula One races, is a Pirelli test driver, will be a father for the first time in July, and turns 30 on Aug. 9 – a week after the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, where he made his Verizon IndyCar Series debut in August 2013.

He’s also the newest (and 16th different) podium finisher in 10 races.

Filippi was runner-up to CFH Racing teammate Josef Newgarden in the Honda Indy Toronto – his seventh start with the team and 16th overall in the Verizon IndyCar Series – June 14 in the 85-lap race. It was the first 1-2 finish for the first-year team that was a merger of Ed Carpenter Racing and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.

Filippi was introduced “out of the blue” to Indy car racing with Bryan Herta Autosport at the flowing Mid-Ohio road course, where he advanced eight positions to finish 16th. He competed in three other races that season, and drove in four races in 2014 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, including the doubleheader at Toronto.

“I'm still very thankful to Bryan because he gave me an opportunity in 2013 … and doing quite well with Bryan gave me an opportunity last year with Rahal, so I'm also very thankful to Bobby because when we had the opportunity in Houston I was very fast, and here in Toronto I had this opportunity, and this is why I'm here today,” Filippi said.

After Mike Conway, who won Race 2 in Toronto last year, decided to drive full time in sports car in Europe, CFH Racing principals Sarah Fisher, Wink Hartman and Carpenter turned to Filippi to drive the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet on the road and street courses. Carpenter competes on the ovals. A Canada-related note: 1998 Atlantic Championship title-winner Lee Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ontario, is the driver coach for CFH Racing.

Filippi had modest success – three top-10 finishes and running at the finish in six of the seven events – and it all came together on the tricky 1.755-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit.

“It's almost a perfect day for us; ‘almost’ because maybe I would have preferred it be the other way around, me in first place and Josef in second, but still I'm extremely happy,” Filippi said. “The past two years I was broadcasting for the Formula One in Italy, so I wasn't racing, I was just traveling around watching everybody racing and watching other people.  It was actually tough, but I got an opportunity now to race again on the IndyCar podium, so it's kind of unbelievable.  I always dreamed about this moment, and now I want to win the race, obviously.

“The team gave me a great car, probably the fastest out there. The team deserved this result because they did everything perfect.”

CFH Racing tied Chip Ganassi Racing Teams with two victories this season (Newgarden won at Barber Motorsports Park in April); Team Penske has three. With three consecutive oval races next on the schedule, Filippi’s next outing will be Aug. 2 where it all began at Mid-Ohio.