IndyCar
Chip Ganassi Racing Celebrates 30th Anniversary in 2020
CONCORD, NC (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Chip Ganassi’s race team is celebrating another milestone. 2020 marks the team’s 30th anniversary.
Ganassi started Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) as a single-car entry in IndyCar back 1990 following the conclusion of his own driving career.
Chip Ganassi Racing Got Its Start At 1990 With A Single Car Entry In IndyCar.
“I always tell people I had a fossil fuel-fired youth having raced karts, motorcycles, IndyCars and Sports Cars,” said Ganassi. “I could have never imagined owning a race team back then, and now it’s incredible to see where it is now.”
Chip Ganassi On Pit Road At The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Prior To The 1982 Indianapolis 500.
In the 30-years since, Ganassi’s teams have tallied 223-wins over 3,630-starts across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series, IndyCar, IMSA (International Motor Sports Association), WEC (World Endurance Championship), ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) and GRC (Global Rally Cross) for eight different manufacturers (Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Dodge, Oldsmobile, Lexus and BMW).
Several of those victories came in some of the most iconic races around the globe. CGR has scored eight wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, four Indianapolis 500 victories as well as wins in the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, the 12-Hours of Sebring and the 24-Hours of Le Mans.
Ganassi’s teams have captured 19-series Championships along the way (12-IndyCar including four-straight titles twice: 1996-1999 & 2008-2011; 7-Sports Car).
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 30-years,” said Ganassi. “I’ve been lucky to have great people, great partners and great drivers work with me in that time.”
Those partners today include Pittsburgh-headquartered PNC Bank, NTT Data, Monster Energy, Credit One Bank, Clover, McDonald’s, GEARWRENCH, AdventHealth, HUSKI Chocolate, Chevrolet and Honda to name a few.
Ganassi has been honored with several awards including:
- 2018: Received the Bruton Smith Legend Award for his success, innovation and positive example across multiple levels of motorsports.
- 2016: Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame for his many contributions to the world of auto racing.
- 2012: Named by Complex Magazine as one of the “50 most influential people in the Auto Industry”. His ranking of 17th was the highest rank for a person from North America from the Racing Industry.
- 2011: Received the first-ever Dapper Dan Sports Leadership Award.
Chip Ganassi Racing plans to roll-out a season-long social media campaign including a commemorative logo throughout the year (pictured below), a CGR Special Edition Prize Pack for fans and a CGR Memorable Moments video series. Fans should make sure they are following the team on Social Media platforms like Twitter: @CGRTeams @CGRnascar @CGRindycar @CGRgaming.
The Chip Ganassi Racing 30th Anniversary Commemorative Logo
Ganassi says he is revved up to drop the green flag on the 2020 racing season, which begins this weekend with Speedweeks in Daytona.
“I’m not going anywhere, and I think we have a lot of wins and championships left in us,” said Ganassi. “I can’t wait for the 2020 season to open for us in Daytona and St. Petersburg.”
CGR KEY FACTS, FIGURES AND MILESTONES:
- First Win – March 20, 1994 (IndyCar, Australia, Michael Andretti).
- In 2010, Ganassi’s teams turned in an historic season by setting an organization record with 19 wins across three touring series, including victories in the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, making him the only team owner in history to win all three crown jewels of racing, and he accomplished it in a single season.
- In 2011, his IMSA team finished off the “Chip Slam” by also winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona, making Ganassi the first owner to hold all four titles at one time.
- First NASCAR Win – August 19, 2001 – (Michigan International Speedway, Sterling Marlin).
- First Sports Car Win – May 23, 2004 – (Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz).
- Indianapolis 500 Wins – (2000-Juan Pablo Montoya, 2008-Scott Dixon, 2010-Dario Franchitti, 2012-Dario Franchitti).
- Daytona 500 – 2010 (Jamie McMurray).
- Brickyard 400 – 2010 (Jamie McMurray).
- 12 Hours of Sebring – 2014 (Marino Franchitti, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas).
- Global Rallycross two-time winner and X-Games Silver Medal Winner (2015, Brian Deegan).
- 24 Hours of Le Mans – 2016 (Joey Hand, Dirk Muller and Sebastien Bourdais).
- Rolex 24 At Daytona Wins – (2006-Dan Wheldon, Scott Dixon and Casey Mears, 2007-Scott Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya and Salvador Duran, 2008-Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti, 2011-Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Graham Rahal and Joey Hand, 2013- Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Charlie Kimball and Juan Pablo Montoya, 2015-Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson, 2017-Joey Hand, Dirk Muller and Sebastien Bourdais, 2018-Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook).
- Championships – (INDYCAR – 1996-Jimmy Vasser, 1997-Alex Zanardi, 1998-Alex Zanardi, 1999-Juan Pablo Montoya, 2003-Scott Dixon, 2008-Scott Dixon, 2009-Dario Franchitti, 2010-Dario Franchitti, 2011-Dario Franchitti, 2013-Scott Dixon, 2015-Scott Dixon, 2018-Scott Dixon), (Sports Car – 2004-Scott Pruett and Max Papis, 2006-Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz, 2008-Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, 2010-Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, 2011-Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, 2012-Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, 2013-Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas).
- 100th Win – July 12, 2008 (INDYCAR, Nashville SuperSpeedway, Scott Dixon).
- 200th Win – January 28, 2018 (IMSA, Daytona International Speedway, Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook).
- 223rd Win (most recent) – October 6, 2019 (NASCAR, Dover International Speedway, Kyle Larson).
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon is on the pole position for the 106th Indianapolis 500. Dixon’s 4-lap average of 234.046 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda was the second fastest qualifying average in the history of the event!
Dixon’s run broke the all-time pole record speed of 233.718 set in 1996 by Scott Brayton. Arie Luyendyk set the all-time four-lap qualifying average speed record of 236.986 in 1996, but his run came on the second day of qualifications and wasn’t eligible for the pole.
“When I saw the 234-seven after the first lap I thought, ‘this should be good’,” said Dixon. “The No. 9 PNC Bank team and Honda really brought it today.”
The Indianapolis 500 pole position was the second-straight, and fifth overall for Dixon, who trails only Rick Mears on the all-time Indy 500 pole position list.
“I’d rather have his four wins,” said Dixon of closing in on Mears pole record.
Palou, the defending series Champion, starts second in the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda, giving CGR their first 1-2 start since Dixon and the late Dan Wheldon started on the front row in 2008.
Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay will start third in the No. 21 Bitcoin Chevrolet. VeeKay’s boss was the last back-to-back pole winner before Dixon. Carpenter will start fourth. “I don’t know that we could’ve trimmed even more,” said Carpenter. “The thing is on the limit. The fourth lap just wasn’t good enough.”
All five of Chip Ganassi’s Honda’s will start in the Top 12 after the squad dominated qualifying.
The second row features CGR teammates Marcus Ericsson, who will start fifth in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Honda, and 2013 500 winner Tony Kanaan, who will start sixth in the No. 1 American Legion Honda.
“I think my run was good,” said Ericsson. “I was hoping and thinking it was a bit faster than that but still it’s a great performance all week and we start from a really, really good spot next weekend.”
Arrow McLaren SP teammates Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist will start seventh and eighth respectively and Andretti Autosport’s Romain Grosjean rounds out row three.
The final row of the ‘Fast Twelve’ is made up of two-time 500 winner Takuma Sato of Dale Coyne Racing (10th), Team Penske’s Will Power (11th) and Indianapolis 500 rookie Jimmie Johnson, who will start 12th in the No. 48 Carvana Honda after the save of the day on his first lap of qualifying.
"Gather it up. Refocus."@jimmiejohnson makes slight contact in turn 2 during his qualifying run.
Watch live on @NBC and @peacockTV: https://t.co/7aweZcszVk#INDYCAR // #Indy500 // @IMS pic.twitter.com/BTux7qGAmC
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 22, 2022
“To get five of our cars into the fast 12 and four into the (Firestone Fast) Six, I hope Chip has a smile on his face.,” said Dixon. “That definitely deserves a smile.”
IndyCar
Indy 500 Qualifying moved up due to weather; Ganassi’s Tony Kanaan turns fastest 4-lap average in practice
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is moving the start of Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge qualifying to 11 a.m. (ET) Saturday, May 21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway due to the potential of rain in the afternoon for the first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying.
Qualifying will run until its previously scheduled end time of 5:50 p.m., weather permitting, with starting spots 13 through 33 locked in for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
The morning practice session also will be moved up, with group one on the 2.5-mile oval from 8:30-9 a.m. and group two from 9-9:30 a.m.
The revised schedule:
- 8 a.m. – IMS Gates Open
- 8:30-9 a.m. – Practice Group 1
- 9-9:30 a.m. – Practice Group 2
- 11 a.m. – PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying begins
Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing’s Takuma Sato turned the fastest lap on a tricky ‘Fast Friday’ that was complicated by windy conditions that kept many teams in the garages for the better part of the day.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Tony Kanaan posted the fastest 4-lap qualifying simulation average of 230.517 mph in the No. 1 American Legion Honda. Kanaan’s CGR teammates Marcus Ericsson and Scott Dixon posted the fourth and fifth fastest 4-lap averages. Ericsson turned a 231.782 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Honda and Dixon a 231.530 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda.
Peacock Premium will provide live coverage of both practice groups and the entire qualifying session, with the INDYCAR Radio Network also offering coverage. Public gates at IMS will open at their previously scheduled time of 8 a.m.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) is off to a quick start in preparations for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Four of the five CGR Honda’s were in the Top 6 of the speed chart following Tuesday’s opening practice for ‘The Greatest Spectacle In Racing’, and all five were in the Top 10.
Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Scott Dixon led the CGR squad posting a fast lap of 227.768 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda. Right behind Dixon in third was Indianapolis 500 rookie Jimmie Johnson, who’s fast lap was 227.722 in the No. 48 Carvana Honda.
“All in all, a really good day” said Johnson. “I feel like where we ended in this session gives me a lot of confidence for working forward. It’s just trying to work through extremes for me. What is a low trim setting? What’s a high trim setting? What’s mechanically tight? What’s mechanically free? Just trying to work through some of those big-picture things.”
Marcus Ericsson was fourth at 227.094 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate CGR Honda.
“I think it was a very positive day for me and for the team,” said Ericsson. “We rolled off (the truck) with really good cars again and sort of continued our work that we did at the open test a few weeks ago. Really, really happy with our progress and where our car is for the moment, a positive first day.”
Defending Series Champion Alex Palou was next on the charts, ending up sixth at 226.973 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda.
“Felt really good to be honest,” said Palou. “The car is super-fast. We were just going through the plan. I think all the Chip Ganassi Racing cars are super-fast. We’re looking good. A lot of work to do but we’re looking good so far.”
The fifth Ganassi entry, Tony Kanaan, was ninth quickest in the No. 1 American Legion Honda with a fast lap of 226.292.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato turned the fastest lap of the day, 228.939, in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda for Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing.
“We had a big tow,” Sato said. “In Happy Hour, if you have new tires, I think you can do that. I’m very happy with the 51 car. Dale Coyne Racing did a good job.”
Practice resumes from Noon-to-6 p.m. (ET) Wednesday (live on Peacock Premium), with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying this Saturday and Sunday. The 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 29.
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