Concord, N.C. (Jan. 29, 2015) – A new season means new opportunities. As Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) anticipates the 2015 season, the team is looking forward to building on what was in many ways a very successful season in 2014.
Making History Behind the Wheel: As the 2015 racing year began, both Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson were part of history when the full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) drivers captured a win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona last Sunday. The win was a record-setting sixth win for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) in the premier North American endurance race, the most of any team in history. The two paired up with INDYCAR teammates Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan for the victory. McMurray also etched his name in the record books by becoming just the third driver ever to win both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Daytona 500. McMurray joins the elite company of racing legends A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.
Target’s Commercial Appeal: After just celebrating 25 seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing, primary partner Target is entering this season with as much excitement as ever, and with an increased focus on marketing the racing program. For the first time in several years, Target has taken the drivers from their familiar roles behind the wheel, and put them in front of the camera for ads that feature Kyle Larson and INDYCAR driver Scott Dixon. The ad featuring Larson will begin airing during the Daytona 500, and several alternate endings will be made available online by Target. The commercials highlight the drivers’ off-track personalities, and brings the fun and excitement of Target Racing to the fans in a unique way. One of the alternate endings can be seen online at http://youtu.be/_9OXCCKieeA.
Making Some Noise In the Sound Garage: In 2014, CGRFS made some noise by hosting a first-of-its-kind, social media event at the team’s Concord, N.C. race shop. The Ganassi Sound Garage – A Digi Bash introduced hundreds of millennial social media influencers to the exciting mix of speed, music and three of the organizations young drivers: Kyle Larson, Dylan Kwasniewski and Sage Karam. During the evening, fans had the opportunity to walk the red carpet and meet the drivers along with musical guest and Big Machine Record Label recording artist, Cassadee Pope. The guests were able to share their experiences on social media as they enjoyed some interactive events prior to the concert, and continued to share socially throughout the concert. While the event was fairly intimate, fans across the country were able to experience the concert through live streams on both NASCAR.com and INDYCAR.com. Ganassi looks to expand on the Sound Garage event in 2015, so look for more exciting news on this event in the coming months!
Larson is Mr. Diversity: Not only is Kyle Larson a graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, he has quickly proven himself to be a diverse driver in every sense of the word. Larson, who began his career racing open-wheel cars on dirt, had numerous wins in everything from Outlaw Karts to Midget Cars, winged and non-winged Sprint Cars before rising to NASCAR’s highest series this past season. While most of Larson’s time is now spent in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS, last season he also raced a near-full NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule, ran three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, a K&N Pro Series West race, and an ARCA race. He also found time during the brief NASCAR offseason to get behind the wheel of three different cars; winning in each type. Larson drove to victory lane at the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown in Arizona, the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. and in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Although Larson has logged countless laps in the Midget Car and Sprint Car, the Rolex 24 was only his second-ever start in a sportscar.
Big Game McMurray: Â Jamie McMurray surprised many in 2014 when he captured a victory in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). While it might have been a surprise to some, the Joplin, Mo. native has made a habit of coming up big in major racing events. After capturing a win in just his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at CMS, McMurray has also added victories in marquee events such as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and most recently the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship.
Real-Deal Rookie: In only his third season in a stock car, Kyle Larson proved to everyone he was more than ready for NASCAR’s highest series. In his Sprint Cup Series rookie campaign, Larson finished the 36-race season with 17 top-10 and eight top-five finishes and was runner-up in three races, two of which came during the pressured-packed Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. On his way to winning NSCS Rookie of the Year honors, Larson’s season stacked up as one of the best rookie efforts ever. He ended the season with a top-10 finish rate of 47.2%, which is better than that of greats Richard Petty (42.9%) and Jeff Gordon (36.7%) during their respective rookie seasons. Larson also captured his first win in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS), and finished the NXS season with two wins.
Looking Back, Moving Forward: 2014 saw the 25th season in which Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) has put a team on track. Beginning with their first win in 1994 at Surfers Paradise, Australia, the organization has compiled historic victories in some of the most iconic races around the globe. CGRT has claimed six wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 victory and finally one at the 12 Hours of Sebring. In total, CGRT has claimed 17 series championships and more than 160 race victories. Currently CGRT fields seven cars in three different series that feature an all-star cast of international talent. The teams include four cars in the IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Prototype in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. For the upcoming NSCS season, CGRFS looks to build a strong finish from both 2014 Sprint All-Start race winner Jamie McMurray and 2014 NSCS Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson.
About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Overall his teams have 17 championships and over 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and six Rolex 24 At Daytonas and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.
For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com
