CONCORD, N.C. (March 25,
2008) - Chip Ganassi Racing
with Felix Sabates (CGRFS)
announced today an expansion
of their current partnership
with Kennametal (NYSE: KMT)
to include primary
sponsorship for the next two
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
races in Martinsville and
Texas on the No. 40 Dodge
Charger driven by NSCS and
Nationwide Series (NNS)
Raybestos Rookie of the Year
points leader Dario
Franchitti.
"Through our long
partnership with Chip
Ganassi Racing with Felix
Sabates, I have developed a
deep respect for the
hardworking team and their
successful operation," said
Kennametal Inc., Chairman,
President and CEO Carlos
Cardoso. "Kennametal is a
global company, so I am
especially pleased to see
that NASCAR is gaining
popularity internationally
with more of our customers
and employees around the
world showing increasing
interest. One thing is
certain," he concluded, "Our
company is really looking
forward to watching Dario in
the No. 40 Kennametal
Dodge!"
A longtime CGRFS partner,
Kennametal supplies tooling
and machining technology to
CGRFS’ Charlotte and
Indianapolis-based racing
shops. In addition they
provide the team’s engineers
and machinists a myriad of
opportunities to further
refine their skills in order
to gain optimum performance
through Kennametal’s
internal university program.
“Over the past eight
years Kennametal has played
an extremely important role
within our race teams in
both Charlotte and
Indianapolis,” said Team
Owner Chip Ganassi. “Like
us, they strive to be the
global leader in their
field, and we’re happy to
increase our involvement
with them and help build
their brand at the race
track with Dario.”
The Edinburgh, Scotland
native will contest the
Goody's Cool Orange 500 at
Martinsville Speedway March
30th and the Samsung 500 at
Texas Motor Speedway on
April 6th in the No. 40
Kennametal Dodge, and is a
perfect fit for the global
company which delivers its
products through employees
in over 60 countries.
Franchitti, who competed
in the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series event in
Martinsville last season,
successfully qualified in on
time for the race. Although
the Scot will make his first
appearance behind the wheel
of a stock car at Texas, he
won the IndyCar pole
position in 2004 event.
Kennametal Inc.
Kennametal Inc. (NYSE:
KMT) is a leading global
supplier of tooling,
engineered components and
advanced materials consumed
in production processes. The
company improves customers'
competitiveness by providing
superior economic returns
through the delivery of
application knowledge and
advanced technology to
master the toughest of
materials application
demands. Companies producing
everything from airframes to
coal, from medical implants
to oil wells and from
turbochargers to motorcycle
parts recognize Kennametal
for extraordinary
contributions to their value
chains. Customers buy
approximately $2.4 billion
annually of Kennametal
products and services -
delivered by our 14,000
talented employees in over
60 countries - with almost
50 percent of these revenues
coming from outside North
America. Visit us at
www.kennametal.com
About Chip Ganassi Racing
with Felix Sabates
With 13 wins in 2007,
CGRFS continues to add to
its tally of 90 trips to
victory lane. Chip Ganassi
created his own one-car
IndyCar team in 1990 and
established a partnership
with a new sponsor, Target.
Today, his teams include two
IRL IndyCars, one Indy Pro
Series car and along with
Felix Sabates he has three
cars in the NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series, two entries in
the NASCAR Nationwide Series
and a Daytona Prototype in
the world of Grand-Am Rolex
Sports Car Series racing.
Ganassi’s IndyCar teams have
amassed five Championships
and 56 wins since 1994; his
NASCAR teams have 12 wins
and two Rookie-of-the-Year
titles; and the Grand
American team has won two
Rolex Series Daytona
Prototype Championships and
are the three-time defending
Champions of the Rolex 24 At
Daytona. Chip Ganassi Racing
operates out of
state-of-the-art race shop
facilities in Indianapolis,
Ind., and Concord, N.C.,
with a corporate office in
Pittsburgh, Pa.