Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. They have formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Global Rallycross Championship, Extreme E and the Rolex Sports Car Series. It was founded in 1990 by businessman and former racecar driver Chip Ganassi from the assets of Patrick Racing to compete in the CART IndyCar World Series.
After winning four consecutive CART championships from 1996 to 1999 with drivers Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya, in 2000 Ganassi became the first CART organization to return to the Indianapolis 500 after the open-wheel "split" between CART and the Indy Racing League in 1996. A dominant victory with Montoya would foresee the team's permanent switch to the IRL (now IndyCar Series), where further championships would be won with Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Álex Palou, including another four straight from 2008 to 2011. In 2023, the team fielded the Nos. 8, 9, 10, and 11 Dallara-Hondas for Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Marcus Armstrong, and Takuma Sato full-time.
In 2001, Ganassi bought a majority stake in Felix Sabates' Team SABCO NASCAR team, which had operated since 1989, marking his entry into that championship as Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and inheriting that organizations history, while also partnering to compete in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. In 2009, Ganassi partnered with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. owner Teresa Earnhardt to merge their NASCAR operations into Ganassi's shop and run under the banner of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The NASCAR team dropped the Earnhardt name in 2014, and Ganassi revealed that Teresa was never truly involved with the team.[2] Rob Kauffman, chairman of the Race Team Alliance, purchased a stake in the team in 2015.[3] Sabates retired from his ownership role after the 2020 season. In 2021, Ganassi accepted an unsolicited offer from former CGR Xfinity Series driver Justin Marks to sell the entire NASCAR operation to Marks' Trackhouse Racing Team, with the deal finalized after that season.[4] The NASCAR program fielded full-time entries for notable drivers including Kyle Petty, Joe Nemechek, Sterling Marlin, Jimmy Spencer, Casey Mears, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch and Ross Chastain
Together, they have won 16 Open Wheel titles (4 in CART, 12 in IndyCar), 5 Grand-Am sports car championships, and wins in the Indianapolis 500 (Five times), Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans and a 24 Hours of Le Mans class win, and over 200 wins across all categories.[5]
- ^ "Chip Ganassi Racing team embarks on Extreme e Odyssey". November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Chip Ganassi explains why 'Earnhardt' is no longer part of team name". Motorsportstalk | NBC Sports. February 21, 2014. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ "Ganassi confirms Rob Kauffman has bought stake of NASCAR team". July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Felix Sabates to retire from NASCAR ownership - Sportsnet.ca".
- ^ Pruett, Marshall (January 28, 2018). "Ganassi hits 200 win milestone with GTLM victory". Racer.com. Racer Media and Marketing, Inc. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
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