Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Advance Notes
RACE SETUP
Race: SpongeBob SquarePants 400 – 267 Laps (400.5 miles), #SB400
Track: Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile D-shaped oval) @kansasspeedway
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @KyleLarsonRacin
Cars: No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Television: FOX Sports 1 (7:30 p.m. ET)
Social: @CGRnascar #TeamGanassi #TeamTarget #TeamMcD
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
22 Going on 50: This weekend at Kansas Speedway, the 22-year-old Larson will be making his 50th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start. Larson’s first start in the NSCS came in the fall of 2013 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and was followed that season by starts at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he led one lap in the season finale. As Larson takes the green for his 50th start, his odometer will read around 18,000 miles traveled, or just over three roundtrips between his hometown of Elk Grove, Calif. and current residence in Mooresville, N.C.
Stars and Strikes: Last Tuesday (April 28) Jamie McMurray joined former University of Wisconsin running back and 2014 Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon to co-host the Stars and Strikes Charity Bowling Classic in Chicago to kick-off NFL draft week. The event raised more than $25,000 to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities. On Thursday, McMurray’s co-host was drafted by the San Diego Chargers as the 14th overall selection in the first round of the NFL draft.
#TEAMGANASSI
Rock the Vote: Don’t forget to cast your Sprint Fan Vote to lock Kyle Larson into the Sprint All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 16! You can vote on the NASCAR Mobile App or at http://www.nascar.com/SprintFanVote. And, for the first time in program history, votes shared via Facebook and/or Twitter will count as double towards a driver’s total. Vote now and enter for a chance to win a trip to the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race of your choice.
Follow CGR on Twitter: Be sure to follow CGR on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No. 42 teams throughout the 2015 season by following “@CGRnascar”. You can also connect in the social conversation throughout the season with team hashtags – #TeamTarget, #Cessna1 #TeamMcD
TWEET OF THE WEEK
@jamiemcmurray – “Got a little lucky at the end today. Had a great car but got stuck in the bottom lane after the last restart. Ready for @kansasspeedway”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR KANSAS SPEEDWAY
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald’s Team
Talladega Recap: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) hosted the second restrictor-plate race of the 2015 season in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (TSS). The No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet SS rolled off from the 27th position and survived the big crashes including a final lap incident that helped McMurray advance from 19th to an 11th-place finish.
McMurray at Kansas: McMurray has made 16 starts at Kansas Speedway since 2003 and has completed 3,953 of 4,220 laps (93.7%), leading 53 of those laps. He has three top-10 finishes with an average start of 19.6 and average finish of 20.3. He has best finish of seventh on two occasions (Oct. 2004 & Apr. 2014), and a best starting positon of fourth (Oct. 2009).
Close to Home: Kansas Speedway is the closest NSCS track to where McMurray grew up and started his racing career. The Joplin, MO. native began racing go-karts and stock cars at local tracks throughout the Midwest. On this trip close to home, McMurray will return boasting the best points position he has ever had for a race at Kansas Speedway. He will enter Saturday night’s race seventh in the NSCS point standings. His previous best, for a race at Kansas Speedway, was 11th on two occasions (Oct. 2004 and April 2013).
Kyle Larson and No. 42 Target Team
Talladega Recap: For the second time this season, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) headed to a superspeedway, with Talladega Superspeedway playing host for the GEICO 500. Larson’s weekend got off to a positive start as the car showed good speed and he earned his highest position at Talladega. However, Larson’s race was cut short after he was collected in a large wreck on Lap 47 with the damage too great to the No. 42 Target Chevrolet to return to the race.
Larson at Kansas: Larson has two previous NSCS starts at Kansas Speedway, both coming last season. Larson’s first race netted him a 12th place finish, and his second trip to Kansas earned him a runner-up finish, his third 2nd place effort of last season. Larson has completed all race laps at Kansas, with an average start of 11.5 and average finish of 7.0. Larson’s two impressive runs at Kansas have earned him the third-highest driver rating at Kansas Speedway, behind veterans Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth.
Class of ’99: Although Larson doesn’t have much in common with the title character for this weekend’s race sponsor, SpongeBob SquarePants, the driver and the sea sponge do share a common start date for their respective careers. Just as the comical fry cook was making his way onto television in 1999, Larson was starting to race karts competitively in Northern California that same year. Larson probably did not have much time to watch SpongeBob’s show, as he raced nearly non-stop while quickly moving through the ranks, driving numerous open-wheel dirt cars over the years before making his NSCS debut in 2013 and earning the 2014 NSCS Rookie of the Year award.
Accelerated Autographs: This weekend at Kansas, Larson will join with several others drivers for a youth autograph session at the NASCAR Acceleration Nation display. While the event offers young fans a chance to meet drivers, it also allows them the opportunity to learn about some of the science and technology behind racing. Acceleration Nation is a learning and entertainment platform designed to promote STEM inspired learning.
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 10900 Stadium Drive, Kansas City, Kan. 66111, and can be reached at (913) 905-0316. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need.
TEAM ROSTERS
Max Jones – Team Manager
John Probst – Technical Director
Tony Lunders – Competition Director
ONE TEAM
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 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 over 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and six 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
