Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Advance Notes
RACE SETUP
Race: Goody`s Fast Relief Shot 500
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray @jpmontoya
Cars: No. 1 McDonald`s Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Track: Martinsville Speedway
TV: ESPN (1:30 p.m. ET)
Social: @EGRTeams #TeamGanassi #TeamTarget
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
We are the Champions: Target Chip Ganassi Racing celebrated their 10th IndyCar championship last weekend in Fontana, Calif. with driver Scott Dixon. The championship marks his third in Indy car racing (2002, 2008 and 2013) and ties teammate Dario Franchitti’s three championships with Team Target. The duo now holds the most championships for the team.
#TEAMGANASSI
Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow EGR on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No.42 teams throughout the 2013 season by following “@EGRTeams”.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Jamie McMurray following the win at Talladega – “Can’t thank my guys enough for their hard work. I’m really happy we were able to win for @Cessna, @McDonalds & all our partners #TeamGanassi”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
Kyle Larson and No. 51 Target Team
Round Two: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) development driver Kyle Larson will make his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start this weekend in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Target Chevrolet SS. Larson tested at Martinsville on Oct. 8 – 9 but it will mark his first race at the historic paperclip racetrack.
Quick Study: Larson, who is competing in his first full-time season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), currently sits ninth in series point standings with eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 30 starts. The Elk Grove, Calif. native also has two starts this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with one win at Rockingham Speedway and a second-place finish at Eldora Speedway.
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald`s Team
Talladega Recap: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates driver Jamie McMurray drove to his seventh-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) victory and first of the 2013 season at Talladega Superspeedway. The No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet SS donned additional branding by carrying the colors of the local Auburn University for its first appearance in victory lane.
McMurray at Martinsville: McMurray will make his 22nd NSCS start this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. In his previous 21 starts, McMurray has accumulated 11 top-10 and one top-five finish, at the half-mile Southern Virginia track. He has an average starting position of 15.2 and an average finishing position of 16.5. His best start was from the pole position in the spring race of 2011 and his best result was a runner-up finish at the fall race of 2004.
Playoff Performer: Since the playoff-style inception, in 2004, of the NASCAR Chase to the NASCAR Sprint Cup (Chase) format, Jamie McMurray has three of his seven career victories in the Chase; one at Charlotte Motor Speedway (October 2010) and two at Talladega (October 2009 & 2013).
Golden Arches: There’s no reason to go hungry while visiting Martinsville Speedway this week. McDonald’s has several locations within 10 miles. The closest restaurant is located at 2756 Greensboro Road Martinsville, VA 24112 – (276) 632-7488.
Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team
Talladega Recap: The NSCS teams took on their last superspeedway race of the 2013 season over the weekend. Juan Pablo Montoya and Team Target started from the 32nd position and were running midfield when they were involved in an on-track incident with the No. 9 car on lap 78. The damage was too significant to repair resulting in a 41st-place finish.
Montoya at Martinsville: Montoya has 13 career NSCS starts at Martinsville Speedway which include two top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has completed 6415 out of the possible 6534 laps (98.2%) and has an average finishing position of 16.5. His best start of fifth occurred at the fall 2010 race and his best finish of fourth occurred at the spring 2011 race.
Pass With Flying Colors: Over the course of the last 13 races at Martinsville, Montoya has made 907 green-flag passes. This ranks him second only to Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of all active drivers.
Seven Years, 15 Wins: Target and Montoya have found their way to victory lane 15 times together across four different series’. The duo visited victory lane 10 times in the CART Series, he gave them their first Indianapolis 500 win, first NSCS win and three wins in the Rolex 24 Hour Race at Daytona. Over the course of seven years (1999-2000, 2007-2013), Montoya has made 238 starts with the Target Bullseye.
Hit the Bullseye: On the way to Martinsville this weekend, stop by Target for all of your race day essentials. Target is located at 155 Holt Garrison Parkway, Danville, Va. 24540. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need at (434)799-9950.
ONE TEAM, SIX CARS, THREE SERIES
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 three cars 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 17 championships and over 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five 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
