Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Advance Notes
RACE SETUP
Race: FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks – 400 laps/400 miles
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @KyleLarsonRacin
Cars: No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Cottonelle Chevrolet SS
Track: Dover International Speedway (1-mile oval) @MonsterMile
Television: Sunday, June 1 FOX (1:00 p.m. ET)
Social: @CGRTeams #Cottonelle42 #driveCessna #TeamGanassi
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
Third Car’s A Charm?: Although Kyle Larson is a rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), the 21-year old will be competing in his fourth race at Dover International Speedway (Dover) this week, in a third different type of NASCAR stock car. Larson has made three previous starts at DIS, one in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) and two in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). He has completed every lap of competition in those three races and has never finished outside the top-10 (fifth place – NKPSE, 10th place and second place – NNS).
Don’t Chance It. Check It: June is Garage Safety Month and Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) team partner, LiftMaster®, encourages fans to support the Celebrate Summer Safely, “Don’t Chance It. Check It” campaign during the month of June. As part of the LiftMaster® commitment to safety they will make a donation to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), a minimum amount of $10,000 will be donated. If Jamie McMurray wins one of the five NSCS races in June, LiftMaster® will add an additional $2,000 per victory to the NFFF.
#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 2014 season by following @CGRTeams. You can also connect in the social conversation throughout the season with team hashtags – #TeamTarget #TeamGanassi #driveCessna
TWEET OF THE WEEK
@kylelarsonracing: “Got the win today with @ENEOSUSA on the car! Race couldn’t have gone much better for us. Team did an awesome job all week.” (following Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series victory)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Charlotte Recap: The Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) schedule, is the annual series stop for Memorial Day weekend. Jamie McMurray, driving the No. 1 Cessna Chevy SS looked to follow up on the victory from last weekend’s Sprint All-Star Race. The No. 1 Chevy started from the 26th position and capitalized on a strong run throughout the grueling 400-lap race to complete a season-best fifth place finish.
Dover Stats: Jamie McMurray has made 22 starts at Dover where he has completed 8676 of 8804 (98.5%) laps of competition. He has five top-10 and one top-five finish with an average start of 16.0 and average finish of 18.3. McMurray has led a total of 131 laps in NSCS competition and has zero DNF’s (did not finish).
Autism Visit: McMurray, who has been a longtime supporter of Autism Awareness and has participated in public service announcements to support individuals and families afflicted with Autism, will participate in events this week to support this meaningful cause. In addition to playing in the annual Drive for Autism Golf Tournament on Thursday May 20 at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Del., hosted by NASCAR on FOX director Artie Kempner, McMurray will also visit to the Autism Speaks Day at the Races event on Sunday June 1 at Dover. This unique event provides those on the autism spectrum, and their families, with the opportunity to attend a NASCAR race in a dedicated quiet zone and comfortable environment with muted lighting, comfortable seating, games and video screens.
Charlotte Recap: Kyle Larson and Team Target spent the race weekend celebrating 25 years of partnership between Chip Ganassi Racing and longtime primary sponsor Target with a special silver car to mark the occasion. The crew went to work on the car starting Thursday during the first practice to begin the tricky task of setting up the car for a race that would begin during the day and finish during the night. The team made gradual gains in speeds during practice, and although tire issues and a tough starting position of 25th kept Larson from pushing towards the front with the race leaders, he was able to gain seven spots from where he started to finish the race in 18th place.
Additionally, in his tenth NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) of the 2014 season driving for Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM), Kyle Larson dominated the second half of the race in the No. 42 ENEOS Chevrolet Camaro to earn his second NNS victory this season. After a very strong qualifying session, Larson started the History 300 in third position and never fell lower than fifth during the 200-lap race on his way to victory lane.
Larson at Dover: Larson has raced at the Monster Mile on three previous occasion in two different NASCAR series. In those NNS and K&N Pro Series East races, he has never finished outside of the top-10. This will be Larson’s first start at the track in a Sprint Cup series car. In his previous three races, Larson has completed has completed every lap of competition.
A Complete Pit Stop: Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (TCGRFS) is partnering with Kimberly-Clark brand Cottonelle to get the NASCAR community talking about their “bum’s” and the benefit of a complete bathroom pit stop. Cottonelle will serve as the primary sponsor on the car and firesuits this weekend. Additionally, Cottonelle spokesperson and London native, Cherry Healey, will be joining Team Target at the track to experience the fun and excitement of NASCAR up close and personal, as well as to spread the message about the benefits of using a combination of Cottonelle toilet paper and Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths. Cherry will be also be taking over the team’s twitter handle, @CGRTeams, for the start of the race to share her thoughts on all the action at the Monster Mile.
Fore!: Although Larson’s free time when not racing typically consists of something racing-related, he will take a break from the track prior to this weekend’s race to spend some time on the links. Larson, along with other drivers, will be competing in the annual Drive for Autism golf tournament to help raise money and awareness for autism.
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.
ONE TEAM, SEVEN 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 four cars in the Verizon 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 more than 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, five 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.
For more information log onto: www.chipganassiracing.com
