Chip Ganassi Racing Advance Notes
RACE SETUP
Race: Auto Club 400 #AutoClub400
Track: Auto Club Speedway (2.0 mile D-shaped oval) @ACSupdates
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @KyleLarsonRacin
Cars: No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Television: Sunday, Mar. 20 – FOX (3:30 p.m. EDT)
Social: @CGRnascar #TeamGanassi #TeamTarget #TeamJMac
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
California Cruisin’: In 2016 Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) will have 12 cars compete in The Golden State in nine races at five different venues (Auto Club Speedway, Long Beach, Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, Sonoma Raceway and The Port of Los Angeles) across five different series (NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR XFINITY Series, Verizon IndyCar Series, IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and Red Bull Global Rallycross). Over the course of 2016, CGRT transport drivers will log nearly 110,000 miles. If the transport drivers were to average 50 mph on all of those trips they will log more than 2,600 hours of driving between the team’s race shops in Charlotte, NC and Indianapolis, IN and all of the race locations throughout California.
#TEAMGANASSI
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, #TeamJMac
TWEET OF THE WEEK
@KyleLarsonRacin: Finished better than where we ran (12th).Got better throughout the race and had a decent last restart. Onto one of my favorite tracks next!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald’s Team
Phoenix Recap: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) made the second stop on the early-season west coast swing in the “Valley of the Sun” at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). The No. 1 McDonald’s team had a strong 11th-place qualifying effort on Friday but worked to manage handling issues throughout the 313-lap race to secure a 16th-place finish
McMurray at ACS: In McMurray’s NSCS career, he has made 20 starts at Auto Club Speedway. In those races, he has scored three top-five, and six top-10 finishes with an average start of 20.2. He has completed 4,487 laps (96.5%) of a possible 4,649, leading 57 of them and has been running at the finish in all 20 of his races at ACS. McMurray has also scored two pole positions at ACS when he swept the top-spot at both races in 2010.
Don’t Go Hungry: Race fans heading to Auto Club Speedway have no reason to go hungry as they can stop by any one of the several McDonald’s locations, including five locations within five miles of ACS, with the closest location at 14454 Foothill Blvd, Fontana, CA 92335 909-429-7810. Don’t forget to download the new McDonald’s App that is filled with great offers every week, like buy five McCafe beverages get one free.
Kyle Larson and No. 42 Target Team
Phoenix Recap: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) remained in the desert this week as Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) played host to the midpoint race of the west coast swing. After working through some handling issues to start the weekend, the Target crew prepared a fast car for qualifying, where Larson advanced to the final round and earned a seventh-place start for Sunday’s race. Although Larson would lose some track position early in the race, and held an average running position of 15.31 throughout the day, he hung on to take advantage of a late restart for a 12th-place finish.
Larson at ACS: The Northern California native will be making his third career NSCS start at ACS this weekend. In two previous starts, Larson and the Target team have seen speed and some success, with an average start of 8.0 and an average finish of 14.0. His first visit to ACS during his rookie season netted Larson his first NSCS runner-up finish, which came right on the heels of his first career NASCAR XFINITY Series victory. Last season, the team settled for a disappointing 26th-place finish after a late-race accident knocked Larson out of a position in the top-10. As he’s done the previous two seasons, Larson will also be competing in this weekend’s XFINITY Series race at ACS. In three previous XFINITY starts, Larson has three total top-10 finishes and a win.
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 16964 Slover Avenue, Fontana, CA 92337 and can be reached at (909) 356-4242. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need.
TEAM ROSTERS
Max Jones – Team Manager
John Probst – Technical Director
Tony Lunders – Competition Director
No. 1 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Denver, NC
Rear Tire Changer: Kenyatta Houston
Bronx, NY
Chief Mechanic: Ryan Bergenty
Plainville, CT
Rear Tire Carrier: PJ Briody
Austin, TX
Front Tire Changer: Daniel Kincaid
Port Byron, NY
Gas Man: Mike Metcalf
Charlotte, NC
Front Tire Carrier: Ben Fetzer
Fredericksburg, VA
Spotter: Tyler Green
Owensboro, KY
Jack Man: Shane Wilson
Edgewater, MD
No. 42 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Chad Johnston
Cayuga, IN
Rear Tire Changer: Steven Tautges
Abbotsford, WI
Chief Mechanic: David Bryant
Farmville, VA
Rear Tire Carrier: Gene Cornwell
Rock Hill, SC
Front Tire Changer: Steven Price
Lynchburg, VA
Gas Man: Ed Watkins
Richmond, VA
Front Tire Carrier: Aaron Schields
Goodland, KS
Spotter: Derek Kneeland
Windham, ME
Jack Man: Graham Molatch
Harrisburg, NC
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 Verizon IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, two cars in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, two factory Ford GT’s in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, two factory Ford GT’s in the FIA World Endurance Championship and two Supercars in Red Bull Global Rallycross. Overall his teams have 18 championships and 170 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 Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.
For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com
