Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Advance Notes
RACE SETUP
Races: Sprint Showdown, Sprint All-Star Race
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad oval) @CLTMotorSpdwy
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @KyleLarsonRacin
Cars: No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Television: FOX Sports 1 (Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET; Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET)
Social: @CGRnascar #TeamGanassi #TeamTarget
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
Come on Down: With two races close to home at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS), Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) is opening the doors to race fans who are in the area for the back-to-back race weekends. CGRFS will host PNC Community Day, which is open to the public, at the team’s Concord race shop (8500 Westmoreland Drive Concord, NC 28027) from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Thursday May 21. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) drivers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson along with NASCAR XFINITY (NXS) Series driver Brennan Poole will join Global Rally Cross (GRC) drivers Brian Deegan and Steve Arpin to sign autographs from 10-11 a.m. There will also be lots of fun activities for the entire family including face-painting, bounce houses and a racing-themed obstacle course. Fans will also have the opportunity to take behind-the-scenes tour of the race shop.
Stars at Home: The Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) is considered a “home track” for many NSCS teams and this Saturday’s Sprint All-Star race will be the 30th running of the Million-Dollars-To-Win event. Although the race started in 1985 at CMS the event moved to Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) for one year in 1986, before returning back to CMS in 1987, close to the majority of NSCS teams and drivers, where it has continued ever since.
#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
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE SPRINT SHOWDOWN & SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Team
Making History: CMS has been a favorable track for Jamie McMurray during his NSCS career. In 25 career starts in NSCS points races at CMS, he has 10 top-10, seven top-five finishes including two victories. McMurray made NASCAR history by winning in just his second NSCS career start at CMS in Oct. 2002. McMurray has also completed 8,374 of 8,852 laps (94.6%) of competition leading 279 circuits around the 1.5-mile track.
McMurray All-Star Race History: Jamie McMurray will attempt to be just the third driver to ever capture back-to-back victories in the Sprint All-Star Race and the first to accomplish the feat since Jimmie Johnson (2012-2013). Davey Allison is the only other driver to win consecutive Sprint All-Star Races in 1991 and 1992.
Luck of the Bass: The last three times that Jamie McMurray has raced to victory lane at CMS, he has done so driving a Bass Pro Shops sponsored car. In 2010, McMurray won the Bank of America 500, then in 2013 McMurray advanced his way into the Sprint All-Star Race with a victory in the Sprint Unlimited. Last year McMurray drove the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet to victory lane to claim the $1 million prize in the Sprint All-Star Race.
Kyle Larson and No. 42 Target Team
Larson in the Sprint Showdown: Friday, Larson will be making his second start in the NSCS Sprint Showdown race, as he tries to race his way into the Sprint All-Star race the following night. In one previous start, coming last season, Larson started the 40-lap race in the third position and turned in a sixth-place finish after mechanical issues slowed down the Target Chevy. In addition to the Showdown start, Larson has competed in three NSCS points races at CMS with an average start of 23.3 and average finish of 20.3.
Three More Shots: Although Larson is not currently in the line-up for Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race, he has three more chances to earn a berth into the non-points event that pays out $1 million to the winner. On track, Larson has two chances to make the main event during the Sprint Showdown race on Friday night. The Showdown features two 20-lap segments, with the winner of each transferring to Saturday’s feature race. Larson can also earn a spot in the All-Star Race by winning the fan vote, which is ongoing until Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
Dog-Power: This weekend, Larson will have a special passenger on-board the No. 42 Target Chevy. The familiar Bullseye logo that usually covers Larson’s hood will be replaced by Bullseye the dog, the equally as recognizable Target mascot. The bull terrier first appeared in Target ads in 1999, and continues to be a popular guest at Target-sponsored events around the country. Bullseye’s signature look of a red bullseye over the left eye is completed with a vegetable-based cosmetic paint applied by a professional make-up artists.
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 6150 Bayfield Parkway, Concord, NC 28027, and can be reached at (704) 262-6080. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need.
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
