Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Advance Notes
RACE SETUP
Race: FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks – 400 laps (400 Miles) #FedEx400
Track: Dover International Speedway (1-mile concrete oval) @MonsterMile
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @KyleLarsonRacin
Cars: No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Television: Sunday, May 31 FOX (1:00 p.m. ET)
Social: @CGRnascar #TeamTarget #TeamMcD #TeamGanassi
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
Three-Five-Nine-Ten: In follow-up to one of the biggest racing weekends of the year last week, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) is gearing up for one of their busiest, action-packed weekends of racing in 2015. For the first time this season, CGRT will compete in three different cities (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Dover, Del., and Detroit, Mich.) in five series (Red Bull Global Rallycross, Tudor United SportsCar Championship, NASCAR XFINITY Series, Verizon INDYCAR Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), with nine cars and 10 different drivers (Steve Arpin, Scott Pruett, Joey Hand, Brennan Poole, Sage Karam, Charlie Kimball, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray). This will be the first time that CGRT will have cars on-track on the same weekend for all five series in which it competes.
#TEAMGANASSI
Follow CGR on Twitter: Be sure to follow CGR on the official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No.42 teams throughout the 2015 season by following @CGRnascar. You can also connect in the social conversation throughout the season with team hashtags – #TeamTarget #TeamMcD
TWEET OF THE WEEK
@jamiemcmurray: “Proud to raise awareness for @autismspeaks @MonsterMile this week with Jamie McMurray Foundation on the No. 1 car”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Team
Charlotte Recap: The Coca-Cola 600, which is the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) schedule, is the annual series stop for Memorial Day weekend. Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 Cessna/McDonald’s team looked to wrap up two weekends of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, billed “10 Days of Thunder”, with a strong run. The No. 1 Chevy started from the 22nd position and finished the 400-lap race with a 19th place result.
Dover Stats: Jamie McMurray has made 24 starts at Dover where he has completed 9,474 of 9,604 (98.6%) laps of competition. He has five top-10 and one top-five finish with an average start of 15.7 and average finish of 18.2. McMurray has led a total of 132 laps in NSCS competition and has zero DNF’s (did not finish). He has a best start of fifth on two occasions (June 2008 & Sept. 2014) and his best finish was a runner-up result in June 2006.
Strong Foundation: This weekend at the Monster Mile the Jamie McMurray Foundation logo will be featured on the decklid of the No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet SS. McMurray, who has been a longtime supporter of Autism Awareness and has participated in public service announcements to support individuals and families affected by Autism, will also participate in the annual Drive for Autism Golf Tournament on Thursday May 28th at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, DE, hosted by NASCAR on FOX director Artie Kempner.
Kyle Larson and No. 42 Target Team
Charlotte Recap: On the biggest racing weekend of the year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) was at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) for the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600. As teams prepared for the 400-lap event, the Target crew steadily made improvements on Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet SS, and looked poised for a strong race starting from the ninth position. However, after a good start, Larson began to experience handling issues that would persist throughout the race and result in a 25th place finish.
Larson at Dover: Larson has competed in two previous NSCS races at the Monster Mile, and also has four starts at Dover in the XFINITY Series and one in the K&N Pro Series East. Last season, Larson scored finishes of 11th and sixth in the spring and fall races respectively, and boasts an average starting position of sixth at Dover. In his five races in NASCAR’s lower series, Larson has an average finish of 5.8.
In-Store: Prior to putting on his Team Target uniform for the weekend, Larson will be making an appearance at the Target store closest to Dover International Speedway. Larson will be at the store, located on 148 John Hunn Brown Road in Dover, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday evening. The event is open to the public and fans are encouraged to come out and meet Kyle.
A Shopping Bullseye: If you have made it to the race only to find out you’ve forgotten to pack a few necessities, there’s no need to worry. For all your last minute needs, and forgotten items, Target has all of the essentials and more. Target is located at 148 John Hunn Brown Road, Dover, Del. 19901, and can be reached at (302) 741-0434. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need.
TEAM ROSTERS
Max Jones – Team Manager
John Probst – Technical Director
Tony Lunders – Competition Director
No. 1 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Denver, NC
Rear Tire Changer: Kenyatta Houston
Bronx, NY
Chief Mechanic: Ryan Bergenty
Plainville, CT
Rear Tire Carrier: Art Simmons
Newark, MO
Front Tire Changer: Daniel Kincaid
Port Byron, NY
Gas Man: Mike Metcalf
Charlotte, NC
Front Tire Carrier: Ben Fetzer
Fredericksburg, VA
Spotter: Lorin Ranier
Prestonsburg, KY
Jack Man: Shane Wilson
Edgewater, MD
No. 42 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Chris Heroy
Angola, IN
Rear Tire Changer: Steven Tautges
Abbotsford, WI
Chief Mechanic: David Bryant
Concord, NC
Rear Tire Carrier: Gene Cornwell
Rockwell, SC
Front Tire Changer: Nick Krizmanich
Kenosha, WI
Gas Man: Ed Watkins
Richmond, VA
Front Tire Carrier: Aaron Schields
Goodland, KS
Spotter: Derek Kneeland
Windham, ME
Jack Man: Graham Molatch
Harrisburg, NC
ONE TEAM
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, Pa.