Sonoma Advance Notes
Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 24
Track: Sonoma (1.99-mile road course)
Location: Sonoma, Calif.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Media Contacts at Sonoma
Jeff Dowling No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet
Shayna Keller No. 42 Target Chevrolet
NOTES
Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray will be making an announcement in the media center on Friday, June 22 at 10:30 a.m. PT.
Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No. 1 and No. 42 teams throughout the 2012 season by following “@EGRTeams”.
EGR at Sonoma: In 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) starts at Sonoma, EGR teams boast one win with Juan Pablo Montoya on June 24, 2007. EGR drivers have finished in the top-five three times and the top-10 seven times. EGR teams have completed 3,211 of 3,314 laps or 97% of all laps run since 2001 and have led 15 laps in wine country.
Road Course Practice: Both Montoya and McMurray have participated in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Montoya has raced six times and was a part of the winning team in 2007 and 2008. McMurray has competed four times, finishing second in 2011.
Chevy Power: Chevrolet-powered cars have earned 10 victories at Sonoma, four more than the second-place manufacturer, Ford.
There’s an App for that: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams 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 application conveys 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 iTunes Application store and download the CGRT mobile app.
JAMIE MCMURRAY AND THE NO. 1 MCDONALD’S TEAM
McMurray on Twitter: Catch the latest from the driver of the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet by following Jamie McMurray’s personal Twitter account, @JamieMcMurray.
Michigan Recap: Rolling off from the 19th-position at Michigan International Speedway, McMurray would report an extremely loose race car from the start of the race. The team took advantage of the two competition cautions to make major adjustments to dial in the handling on the McDonald’s Chevrolet. The rest of the afternoon the team would only need to make minor air pressure adjustments on the car. McMurray would battle to post a 14th-place finish.
McMurray at Sonoma: This weekend’s race will be McMurray’s 10th start at Sonoma. McMurray has been nearly perfect in Northern California, completing 993 laps out of a possible 994 laps. He has one top-five, one top-10 and five top-15 finishes. The driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet qualified on the pole in 2007, and led 30 laps. His best finish at the track is second in 2004.
On the right track: McMurray has a driver ranking of 86.6 at Sonoma and ranks ninth among active drivers over the last seven events at Sonoma. He also ranks in the top-10 in number of laps led at Sonoma with 30.
“Dollar Menunaires” Rejoice: McDonald’s Dollar Menu celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2012. The Dollar Menu was the first of its kind in the fast food industry, showcasing McDonald’s commitment to innovation.
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA AND THE NO. 42 TARGET TEAM
Montoya on Twitter: Catch the latest from the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet by following Montoya’s personal Twitter account, @jpmontoya.
Michigan Recap: When the green flag finally waved Sunday afternoon for the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Montoya and the Target team worked on handling immediately and with a two-tire stop on lap 53 they were able to get themselves in position to run with the front pack. Montoya spent the remaining 150 laps up in the top-10 and would lead four laps just past the halfway point of the race. As the checkered flag waved, Montoya brought the No. 42 Chevrolet across the finish line in the eighth position. This marks the second top-10 finish of the season for the Target team.
Happy Anniversary: The date of this year’s race at Sonoma marks the five year anniversary of Montoya’s first NSCS win on June 24, 2007. Montoya worked his way up from 32nd to lead seven laps of the 110 possible laps on his way to victory.
Road Warrior: Montoya has won on three different road courses on the NASCAR circuit. Montoya’s first victory was March 3, 2007 in Mexico City driving in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Montoya rolled off in third position and then went on to lead 43 of 82 laps on his way to victory. Along with a 2007 victory in Sonoma, Montoya has an additional NSCS victory at Watkins Glen in 2010. Montoya dominated at The Glen, starting fourth and leading 74 out of 90 laps.
Moving on up: In the last seven races at Sonoma, Montoya ranks second in quality passes, which is passing a car in the top-15 under green. He leads the third place driver, Brad Keselowski, by 4.3 passes. In five starts at Sonoma, the driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet has the highest percentage of laps run in the top-15, at 80.7 percent.
All Access: Montoya and the Target team will be in the spotlight this weekend as fans can listen to Montoya’s in-car audio on SIRIUS Channel 112 throughout the Toyota/Savemart 350. Also, the No. 42 team will be featured on NASCAR HotPass on DIRECTV. Montoya will have a channel solely dedicated to him during the race. Please check channels 795-798 before the broadcast for the exact channel.
Building on Success: In five NSCS starts at Sonoma, Montoya ranks in the top five in average running position (third), average driver rating (fourth), fastest drivers early in a run (second), fastest drivers late in a run (fourth) and green flag speed (fourth).
CHASSIS INFO
No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1012. Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No. 1 McDonald’s team will bring Chassis #1012 to Sonoma this weekend. This road course chassis will make its third Sonoma appearance and fifth race, overall. This chassis has finished 15th at Sonoma twice, and earned sixth and 17th place finishes at Watkins Glen in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1014. Crew Chief Chris “Shine” Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will bring Chassis #1014 to Sonoma this weekend. This chassis boasts a victory at Watkins Glen in 2010 and a seventh-place finish in 2011. It finished 10th and 15th at Sonoma in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Chassis #1014 has led a total of 80 laps; two of those laps were at Sonoma.
2012 STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts
Wins
Poles
Top 5s
Top 10s
Ave Start
Ave Finish
Pts. Pos.
Jamie McMurray
15
0
0
0
3
20.8
19.1
18
Juan Pablo Montoya
15
0
0
0
2
25.1
19.1
19
CAREER STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts
Wins
Poles
Top 5s
Top 10s
Ave Start
Ave Finish
Jamie McMurray
345
6
8
41
99
19.4
19.4
Juan Pablo Montoya
196
2
7
20
51
18.1
19.5
TEAM ROSTERS
Max Jones – Team Manager
John Probst – Technical Director
No. 1 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Kevin Manion
Boylston, MA
Rear Tire Changer: Jeremy Fuller
Newnan, GA
Chief Mechanic: Randall Burnett
Fenton, MO
Rear Tire Carrier: Doug Riepe
Danbury , CT
Front Tire Changer: Bryan Jacobsen
Honesdale, PA
Gas Man: Benjy Grubbs
Richmond, VA
Front Tire Carrier: Brett Morrell
Windham, ME
Jack Man: Mitch Lash
Salisbury, NC
No. 42 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Chris Heroy
Angola, IN
Rear Tire Changer: Chris McMullen
Canton, MI
Chief Mechanic: David Bryant
Concord, NC
Rear Tire Carrier: Chip Goode
Statesville, NC
Front Tire Changer: Pedro Martinez
San Antonio, TX
Gas Man: Ed Watkins
Richmond, VA
Front Tire Carrier: Eric Bilyeu
Waterford, MI
Jack Man: Mark Jacobs
Fort Walton Beach, FL
About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc.
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 in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 14 championships and 147 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. 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.earnhardtganassi.com
