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[/media-credit]Target Chip Ganassi Racing Texas Advance Notes
Race: Firestone 550, Saturday June 9 (8:00 PM ET, NBC Sports)
Track: Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
NOTES/NEWS
Follow Team Target on Twitter: Continue to follow @TCGRTeams for official updates from Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR).
Making History Together: Minneapolis-based Target celebrates its 23rd anniversary in motorsports with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2012. Since its formation, Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) has amassed 88 victories and nine titles (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), including four Indianapolis 500 victories (2000, 2008, 2010, 2012). The 2012 season includes two full-time entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series with Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti and a full-time entry in the NASCAR Sprint Car Series (NSCS) for 1999 CART Champion and 2000 Indianapolis 500 Winner Juan Pablo Montoya. Team Target continues to feature some of the world’s most accomplished race car drivers.
Managing Director Mike Hull on Texas: “It’s great to be back at an oval at the Texas Motor Speedway with our Target Cars. TMS represents a great deal of INDYCAR history as oval racing and INDYCAR are synonymous. Texas is a 1.5-mile oval with 24 degrees of banking, so it provides the opportunity of close racing for 200 laps on Saturday night. Our team works on having good cars for an entire fuel run; Dario and Scott will most likely stop for service at least four times; and, matching the downforce level from twilight to the finish, will make the difference. If you can’t be with the big crowd there, hope to see you on NBC Sports Network this week.”
Off to a good start: In 25 starts at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), TCGR drivers have rolled off the grid in the top-three 10 times.
TCGR at Texas: TCGR drivers have made 25 starts at TMS, earning three wins (2002: Jeff Ward; 2008: Dixon; 2011: Franchitti), three poles, nine podiums, 13 top-fives and 16 top-10 finishes. In those 25 starts, Team Target drivers have led 698 of 5,070 laps (13.7%).
Running circles: Since 1990, Indy cars have visited oval tracks 212 times. TCGR has accumulated 45 victories, 43 poles, 162 top-fives and 264 top-10s on ovals. Out of a possible 83,340 laps for all Team Target starts on ovals, TCGR drivers have completed 73,858 laps (88.6%).
Leading the pack: In 212 visits to oval tracks since 1990, TCGR has led in 127 of those races (59.9%). Of the 43,657 laps run on ovals in that time frame, Team Target drivers have led 9,993 laps (22.8%).
Number Won: Last week’s race at Belle Isle marked another first for TCGR as Dixon and Franchitti earned back-to-back 1-2 finishes for the first time in the team history. That 1-2 finish marked the team’s 32nd double podium finish and the 15th time TCGR drivers have finished first and second.
Did you Know?: TCGR won in its first start at TMS with Jeff Ward in 2002. Ward started seventh and led just the final lap en route to victory.
Honda Power: Honda remains second in the manufacturer point standings with 42, closing in on Chevrolet with 48. Lotus remains third with 24 points.
Honda at the front: Dixon has led more laps this season, 196, than any other driver, including all 60 laps at Detroit, and race-high totals of 37 laps at St. Pete and 38 at Barber. Honda-powered drivers have led 330 laps this season, which is 204 more laps than the next closest manufacturer.
There’s an App for that: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) and SapientNitro SM recently re-launched an updated mobile application, which is one of the first for the high-velocity world of racing. The application brings fans updated driver and event information, and exclusive content in one centralized and expansive mobile experience, bringing to life the rich heritage and legendary success of CGRT. The unique mobile applicationconveys the high-octane rush of the racing experience for a team that competes at the highest levels in three series – NSCS, IZOD IndyCar Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Click here to visit the iTunesApplication store and download the CGRT mobile app.
