Chip Ganassi Racing
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| Owner(s) Name | Chip Ganassi, Felix Sabates |
| Racing Series | NEXTEL Cup, Busch Series, Indy Racing League (IRL), Grand-Am ARCA RE/MAX |
| Number of Championships | 4 (Champ Car), 1 (IRL), 1 (Grand-Am) |
| Car Number(s) | #40, #41, #42 (Sprint Cup) #40, #41 (Nationwide Series) #9 (Indy Car & IPS) #10 (Indy Car & IPS) #01 (Grand-Am) |
| Driver(s) | Dario Franchitti (#40-Sprint & Nationwide) Reed Sorenson - (#41 (Sprint & Nationwide) Juan Pablo Montoya - (#42-Sprint) Bryan Clauson (#41-Nationwide) Brady Bacon (Development) Kevin Hamlin (Development) Scott Dixon - (#9-Indy Car) Dan Wheldon - (#10-Indy Car) Chris Festa - (#9-IPS) Pablo Perez - (#10-IPS) Scott Pruett (#01-Grand-Am) Memo Rojas (#01-Grand-Am) |
| Primary Sponsor(s) | Target (#41-Sprint, 9, 10-IRL) Texaco (#42-Sprint) Fastenal (#40-Nationwide) Memorex (#41-Nationwide & ARCA) |
| Shop Location | Concord, North Carolina (NASCAR) Indianapolis, Indiana (all others) |
| Homepage | Chip Ganassi Racing |
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is an automotive racing organization with teams competing in NASCAR, IRL, and Grand-Am racing. It is owned by businessmen Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates.
The team is based in Concord, North Carolina, which is a suburb of Charlotte.
Contents |
[edit] NASCAR
[edit] Nextel Cup Series
The NASCAR operation was formed in 1989 by Felix Sabates, a Cuban immigrant who was a self-made millionaire in products such as Teddy Ruxpin. The team was known as Team SABCO or SABCO Racing. In 2001, Ganassi bought 80% of the ownership interest in the team, the same year the team switched from Chevy to Dodge. However, Sabates plans to give his 20% interest back to Ganassi during the 2012 season.
[edit] Car #30 History
The #30 car was often a R&D car for CGN. It debuted in 2003 at Watkins Glen with Scott Pruett driving, starting 28th and finishing 2nd. Pruett and the car reappeared in 2004 and 2005 at Infineon, where Pruett finished 3rd and 31st, respectively. He also attempted The Glen, but he failed to qualify both years. In 2005, former champion Bill Elliott drove the car with Coors sponsorship at the Bud Shootout when his regular ride was unavailable. David Stremme then drove seven races in preparation for his bid in 2006 for NASCAR Rookie of the Year. Casey Mears was originally going to drive this car full-time in 2006 with sponsorship from Home123, but it was later announced he would drive the #42 car instead. Home123 then terminated its contract with CGN. In late 2006, Montoya made his Cup debut at the Ford 400 in the #30, but failing to finish after being wrecked late in the race.
[edit] Car #40 History
The #40 car debuted in 1993 as the 2nd car in the SABCO stable. It had sponsorship from Dirt Devil and was piloted by rookie driver Kenny Wallace. After Wallace finished 3rd behind Bobby Labonte and Jeff Gordon in the NASCAR Rookie of the Year standings, he left for other opportunities. Bobby Hamilton drove the car the next season with sponsorship from Kendall Motor Oil, during which the #40 car was bought by Dick Brooks. Hamilton finished 23rd in points that year. The 1995 season saw multiple drivers such as Rich Bickle, Greg Sacks, and Shane Hall pilot the car. But at the end of the year, Brooks closed up shop and sold the team back to Sabates. The team came back in 1996 with First Union sponsoring the car and Greg Sacks driving. Returning full-time the next year with rookie driver Robby Gordon driving and Coors Light paying the bills, things looked promising when Gordon won the pole at the spring Atlanta race. Unfortunately, Gordon, an open-wheel ace, suffered burns during the Indianapolis 500. By the time he came back, the damage was done, and despite picking up a top-5 at Watkins Glen, Gordon was released. Sacks returned to finish out the year.
For 1998, Sabates chose a more experienced driver in 2-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin. Marlin did not qualify at the spring Atlanta race, one year after the team won the pole position there, marking the first time since 1986 Marlin missed a Winston Cup race. At the end of the year, Marlin had 6 top-10's and was 18th in points. Marlin showed a brief insurgence in 1999 when he won the pole at Pocono, but the mediocrity continued, and it looked like Marlin's best days were behind him. In 2001, the car got a new silver-red paint scheme, a manufacturer switch to Dodge, a new crew chief in Lee McCall, and a new owner in Ganassi. Marlin made an impression by winning his qualifying race for the Daytona 500, but the euphoria soon vaporized. On the last lap of the 500, Marlin's car and Dale Earnhardt's car touched, causing the 7-time champion to lose control and crash into the wall, killing him. Out of anger and grief, fans sent hate mail and death threats to Marlin and his wife, claiming him responsible for Earnhardt's death. They only ceased when Earnhardt's drivers, his son Dale Jr. and Michael Waltrip, publicly defended Marlin. Marlin was able to rise above the controversy, and gave Dodge its first win since its return to NASCAR at Michigan, and finished 3rd in points. Marlin led the points standings for most of 2002, but broke his neck at Kansas Speedway, ending his season. Jamie McMurray, scheduled to drive the #42 car the following season, filled in for Marlin. At Lowe's Motor Speedway, McMurray beat out Bobby Labonte to win his first race in just his second Nextel Cup start. The emotional victory was capped off with a phone call from Marlin through the television network congratulating McMurray on his victory. Since then, Marlin has not won a race, and rookie David Stremme replaced Marlin in 2006. This move outraged some fans, since Coors and Ganassi both stated that the decision was partly due to Coors attempting to target the younger demographic. Stremme did not finish higher than 11th and had a 33rd-place finish in the points.
Before the 2007 season started, Lone Star left the 40 team as primary sponsor, leaving only Coors Light. Since the beginning of the season, TUMS has also come on as a sponsor of the 40 team. Thus far into his sophomore season, Stremme had a much better start to the season, earning his first top ten in the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, posting his best career finish, 8th, two weeks later in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, and is currently sitting 25th in the point standings. For 2008, this team does not have a sponsor and may soon have to find a driver. Coors announced its departure from CGRFS, leaving the door open for Stremme to look for another ride. On October 3rd, 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar Series Champion Dario Franchitti was announced as the new driver of the #40 car for 2008.
[edit] Car #41 History
The #41 car debuted in 1989 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as the #42 PEAK Pontiac driven by Kyle Petty, who finished 4th. The car ran on and off for the rest of the year before moving to full-time status in 1990. Petty won one race and finished 11th in points that year. Petty was running strong in 1991 with new sponsorship from Mello Yello, before he broke his leg in an accident at Talladega Superspeedway. He was replaced by Bobby Hillin, Jr., Tommy Kendall, and Kenny Wallace while he recovered. After returning, he won five races finished 5th in points in both 1992 and 1993.
After that, his career began to run out of steam, as he began to be less consistent in finishing races.. He won his final race in 1995 at Dover, the first year the car had Coors Light as a sponsor. In 1996, Petty was temporarily replaced by Jim Sauter to recover from more injuries. After that year, Petty and Sabates split and Coors moved to the #40 car. Joe Nemechek and BellSouth came onboard. The year got off to a rocky start when Nemechek did not qualify for the Daytona 500, but was able to get in on a car bought from Phil Barkdoll. After losing his brother John in an accident at Homestead-Miami Speedway (and missing Darlington to attend his funeral, during which he was replaced by Phil Parsons), Nemechek won two pole positions and finished 28th in points, followed up by a then-career best 26th in 1998. Weeks after announcing that they would not race together after the 1999 season had ended, Nemechek won his first Winston Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway, and won two more pole positions.
In 2000, Kenny Irwin Jr. took over. He was just adjusting to his new team when tragically, he was killed in a practice accident at New Hampshire, the first race since the team won there the previous year. The team took one week off and returned as #01 driven by Ted Musgrave. For 2001, the BellSouth brand Cingular became the sponsor and rookie driver Jason Leffler handling the driving chores. Leffler struggled despite winning a pole at the inaugural race at Kansas Speedway, and he was released at the end of the season. When Cingular moved to the #31 car, Target became the sponsor, the number was changed to #41, and Jimmy Spencer was tabbed to replace Leffler. Spencer did not qualify for the Daytona 500, and was replaced by Scott Pruett at Watkins Glen, then was released. Casey Mears, a Busch Series driver was hired to drive the car. After three seasons, Reed Sorenson was hired to drive the #41 car full time, and Mears switched to the #42 car. Sorenson had five top-tens and ended the 2006 season 24th in the standings.
[edit] Car #42 History
What is now the #42 car was the #87 car owned and driven by Joe Nemechek. After he signed with Sabates in 1996, Sabates bought the majority ownership of the team, which debuted at the 1997 Daytona 500 as the #46 First Union Chevy driven by Wally Dallenbach Jr.. After skipping several races, the team moved to full-time racing. Dallenbach competed in 22 races and finished 41st in points. He only raced in four races in |1998 before he was replaced by a rotation of drivers including Jeff Green, Morgan Shepherd, and Tommy Kendall. After First Union stopped their backing at the end of the season, the team was scheduled to close down, but instead it changed its number to #01 and served as the team's research and development car. Green, Steve Grissom, and Ron Hornaday drove the car on a limited schedule in 1999. The team reappeared at Sears Point in 2001 as car #04 when Jason Leffler drove the car while Dorsey Schroeder piloted his regular ride; Leffler did not qualify for the race. The car came back as #42 in 2002 at Watkins Glen when Jimmy Spencer did not qualify while Scott Pruett drove his normal car. The car was scheduled to run seven races with Jamie McMurray driving, but when McMurray filled in for Sterling Marlin, the team didn't run until 2003. When it raced full-time for the first time in 2003, McMurray drove the car with Texaco/Havoline as the sponsor. Despite winning Rookie of the Year honors, McMurray left after the 2005 season to replace Kurt Busch at Roush Racing. Casey Mears moved up to take his place during the 2006 season, but Mears also decided to leave Ganassi, replacing Brian Vickers at Hendrick Motorsports. In July 2006, it was announced that racer Juan Pablo Montoya would replace Mears in the #42. Montoya won his first career Nextel Cup race at Infineon Raceway in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 ending a near five year victory drought the Chip Ganassi Racing organization had in the NEXTEL Cup Series.
[edit] Busch Series
CGRWFS began running the Busch Series in 2000, fielding two full-time and one part-time. The part-time team was the #42 BellSouth Chevrolet driven by Irwin and had raced nine times with Irwin finishing in the top-ten twice before Irwin was killed at New Hampshire. Like Irwin's Cup team, the number was switched to 01, and Marlin became the new driver. He raced three races in the 01, finishing in the top-ten twice. Blaise Alexander drove the #81 Tracfone/WCW Chevy full-time in 2000, and had two top-tens and finished 25th in points, despite failing to qualify for the season-opening race. Dave Steele was hired by SABCO to drive the #82 Channellock Chevy full-time, but after failing to qualify for three out of the first five races, he was released. Sterling Marlin won in the next race in the 82, while Jeff Fuller failed to qualify in his attempt in the car the following week at Texas. After Derek Gilcrest drove for a pair of races, Glenn Allen, Jr. drove for the next five races, not finishing better than 29th. Jason White drove for two short track races, followed by Anthony Lazarro at Watkins Glen, Andy Houston at Milwaukee, and Austin Cameron at Nazareth and Pikes Peak. Ted Musgrave then signed on for the next eight races, finishing eighth at Lowe's. Marty Houston finished the season in the 82, with a best finish of 14th. At the end of the 2000 season, SABCO's Busch equipment was sold to HighLine Performance Group.
[edit] Car #40 history
The 40 car debuted in 2006 as the #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge. Casey Mears drove nine races and won his first career race at Chicagoland Speedway. Juan Pablo Montoya drove the last four races of the year, posting an eleventh place finish in his series debut at Memphis. He drove seventeen races the next season, and won his first race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and had three top-tens. Kevin Hamlin also made seven starts, including two consecutive top-tens. After Michael Valiante drove at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and David Stremme at Bristol, it was announced the 42 team would shut down effective immediately, but that decision and was rescinded and A. J. Allmendinger was named driver for the next five races, but he failed to finish higher than 14th. Dario Franchitti finished out the year with Target sponsorship, qualifying in the top-ten twice.
For 2008, Franchitti and Reed Sorenson will split the driving duties of the newly-renumbered #40 car, with sponsorship coming from Fastenal.
[edit] Car #41 history
The 41 car began racing at the 2004 Kroger 200, when Reed Sorenson made his NASCAR debut with sponsorship coming Discount Tire Company. He qualified third and finished thirteenth. For the rest of the season, Sorenson, Casey Mears, and Jamie McMurray ran limited schedules in the 41, with McMurray picking up a win at Phoenix. In 2005, Sorenson drove full-time, picking up two wins and finishing fourth in points. He drove most of the 2006 season, except the AT&T 250, where David Stremme finished eleventh in his place. After Sorenson's tenth-place points finish, Discount Tire left for Roush Fenway Racing and Wrigley's became the new sponsor. Sorenson and Stremme shared the 41 for most of the season, with Sorenson winning at Gateway. Bryan Clauson came on board with Memorex sponsorship then drove for five races with a best finish of eighteenth, before A.J. Allmendinger finished out the season in the 41.
[edit] Champ Car
In 1989, Chip Ganassi, who had driven in the CART series, joined Pat Patrick as co-owner for Emerson Fittipaldi's Marlboro CART Indycar team. The team won the 1989 Indianapolis 500 and 1989 CART championship. For 1990, Patrick, Ganassi, and Fittipaldi split ways. Patrick took over the upstart Alfa Romeo Indycar team, Fittipaldi took the Marlboro sponsorship to Penske, and Ganassi took his assets to start his own team. He signed former Formula One driver Eddie Cheever and raced full-time in the CART series with Target as primary sponsor.
Ganassi expanded to a two-car effort for the 1992 Indianapolis 500, adding Arie Luyendyk for the Indy-only entry. Later in 1992, Ganassi debuted rookie Robby Gordon in selected events. For 1993, Luyendyk replaced Cheever full-time. Luyendyk and won the pole position for the 1993 Indianapolis 500 and finished second in the race. For 1994, Michael Andretti joined the team, immediately after returning from his failed 1993 Formula One effort. He secured Ganassi's first Indycar victory, at the season opening Surfer's Paradise event.
Target continued to sponsored Ganassi's operation through the decade, and by the mid part of the decade, the team had risen to the top of the series. Perhaps the most impressive was Juan Montoya winning the championship in his rookie season in 1999. They won four consecutive series championships, with Jimmy Vasser (1996), Alex Zanardi (1997-1998), and Montoya in 1999. In 2000, Ganassi became the first CART team to break ranks and return to race in the Indianapolis 500, part of the rival Indy Racing League. The team saw instant success as Juan Pablo Montoya dominated the race.
The team ran from 1992 to 2002 before moving into the rival Indy Racing League fulltime. They had run one IRL car for former motocross racer Jeff Ward in 2002, in which Ward won one race at Texas in one of the closest finishes in IRL history. In its time in CART, driving for Ganassi was viewed as the final proving ground for much of the top talent before moving onto Formula 1.
[edit] Drivers (chronological)
Eddie Cheever (1990-1992)
Arie Luyendyk (1992-1993, 1997)- Robby Gordon (1992)
Didier Theys (1992)- Michael Andretti (1994)
Mauricio Gugelmin (1994)- Bryan Herta (1995)
- Mike Groff (1995)
Memo Gidley (2001)
Scott Dixon (2002)
Kenny Bräck (2002)- Jimmy Vasser (1995-2000)
Alex Zanardi (1996-1998)
Juan Pablo Montoya (1999-2000)
Nicolas Minassian (2001)- Bruno Junqueira (2001-2002)
[edit] Indy Racing League
As mentioned, Ganassi raced with Juan Pablo Montoya and Jimmy Vasser in the 2000 Indianapolis 500. The team returned to Indy in 2001 with Vasser, Bruno Junqueira, Nicolas Minassian, and Tony Stewart. But in neither year did they run the entire IRL season.
For 2002, Ganassi made the jump to the IRL full-time with Jeff Ward driving one car, with the addition of Ganassi's two Champ Car drivers Kenny Bräck and Bruno Junqueira for the Indianapolis 500. None of those three would drive for Ganassi in 2003; the replacements were Scott Dixon, a midseason addition to Ganassi's Champ Car team in 2002, and Tomas Scheckter. Dixon won three races and the series championship while Scheckter struggled and was released from his contract. Tony Renna was to replace him, but had a tragic testing crash at Indianapolis that claimed his life. Briton Darren Manning wound up in the seat for 2004. The team's performance suffered the next two seasons and when Manning was fired, a bevy of drivers ran in Ganassi's cars, among them former Formula One drivers Ryan Briscoe and Giorgio Pantano and Jaques Lazier. For 2006, Target Ganassi Racing scaled back to two cars, with Dixon returning along with 2005 Indy 500 champ Dan Wheldon, whom Ganassi signed away from Andretti Green Racing in the offseason. The team also changed to Honda engines (along with all other IRL teams) and Dallara chassis for 2006.
[edit] Drivers
- Kenny Bräck (2002)
Ryan Briscoe (2005)- Scott Dixon (2003-)
- Bruno Junqueira (2001-2002)
- Jaques Lazier (2005)
Darren Manning (2004-2005)- Nicolas Minassian (2001)
- Juan Pablo Montoya (2000)
- Giorgio Pantano (2005)
Tomas Scheckter (2003)- Tony Stewart (2001)
- Jimmy Vasser (2000-2001)
- Jeff Ward (2002)
- Dan Wheldon (2006-)
[edit] Indy Pro Series
On December 20, 2006, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that it will field an Indy Pro Series team for the first time in 2007, with drivers Chris Festa and Pablo Pérez. Perez was severely injured in a crash in the opening race of the IPS season and was not replaced. Festa finished 10th in points without winning a race in a season dominated by Alex Lloyd who was signed by Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the season.
[edit] Grand Am series
Target Chip Ganassi Racing also runs a Daytona Prototype team in the Rolex Grand-Am series fielding a Riley-Lexus car driven by Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz. Their second team car won the 2006 24 Hours of Daytona driven by Ganassi IRL drivers Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon along with NASCAR driver Casey Mears. In 2007, Ganassi won the race again, this time with Pruett, former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, and Salvador Duran, making him the first owner to win it in back to back years since Al Holbert in 1986-87.
On October 3rd 2007, in a press conference, Indy Car driver Dario Franchitti announced that he will be driving the #40 car for Chip Ganassi racing next season.
[edit] External links
- Chip Ganassi Racing (English)
- Chip Ganassi Racing (Spanish) (primarily for information on Juan Pablo Montoya)
- Racing Reference
| Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | |
| NEXTEL Cup Drivers | Dario Franchitti (#40) | Reed Sorenson (#41) | Juan Pablo Montoya (#42) |
| Busch Series Drivers | Bryan Clauson (#41) |
| IRL Drivers | Dan Wheldon (#9) | Scott Dixon (#10) |
| Grand-Am Telmex #01 team drivers | Scott Pruett | Memo Rojas |
| IPS Drivers | Chris Festa (#9) | Pablo Perez (#10) |
| Other Development Drivers | Brady Bacon | Kevin Hamlin | Alex Lloyd |
| Other | Chip Ganassi | Felix Sabates |
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| Nextel Cup Teams | BAM Racing · Chip Ganassi Racing · E&M Motorsports · Gillett Evernham Motorsports · Penske Racing · Petty Enterprises |
| Busch Series Teams | Chip Ganassi Racing · Faith Motorsports · Fitz Motorsports · Gillett Evernham Motorsports |
| Craftsman Truck Series Teams | Bobby Hamilton Racing · Green Light Racing · · Winward Racing Enterprises |
| Development drivers | Chase Miller |
| 2008 IndyCar Series season | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andretti Green | Ganassi | Penske | RLR | D & R | Vision | Panther | Foyt | SAMAX | Roth | ||
| 7 Patrick 11 Kanaan |
26 Andretti 27 Mutoh |
9 Dixon 10 Wheldon |
3 Castroneves 6 Briscoe |
TBA 17 Hunter-Reay |
5 TBA 15 Rice |
2 TBA 20 Carpenter |
4 Meira TBA |
14 Manning | 23 Duno | 25 Roth TBA Howard |
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| Homestead - St. Pete - Motegi - Kansas - Indy 500 - Milwaukee - Texas - Iowa - Richmond - Watkins Glen - Nashville - Mid-Ohio - Kentucky - Infineon - Belle Isle - Chicagoland | |||||||||||
