CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 29, 2017) – Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today that through their technical partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Alex Bowman, 24, will pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) races at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct. 7) and Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 11). Hendrick Automotive Group’s HendrickCars.com, which features more than 43,000 new and pre-owned cars for sale, will serve as the primary sponsor in Charlotte with additional support from Vannoy Construction. A sponsor for Phoenix will be announced at a later date.
NOTES OF INTEREST:
· Racing for a Title: Bowman joins Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick and Justin Marks as drivers of the No. 42 Chevrolet in 2017. Currently the No. 42 team leads the NXS owners’ standings following Reddick’s win at Kentucky Speedway. Through 27 starts, the combination of Larson, Reddick and Marks has four wins, 11 top-five, 15 top-10 finishes and two poles. Larson picked up victories in Fontana, Richmond and Dover prior to Reddick’s win in the first round of the NXS playoffs.
· Bowman in the NXS: The Tucson, AZ native made his NXS debut in 2012, and finished runner-up to Larson in the 2013 NXS Rookie of the Year standings. In 50 series starts, Bowman has five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes along with three poles. Bowman moves into the No. 88 Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2018.
CGR QUOTEBOARD:
· Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing: “We’re excited to welcome Alex to the No. 42 team for two races. He’s a great young talent, who can help us with our goal of winning an NXS owners’ championship. Initially those two races were earmarked for Larson but we wanted him to focus on the Cup playoffs so we appreciate Rick (Hendrick) and his team for allowing us to put Alex in our car. Hendrick Motorsports has been a tremendous partner of CGR for many years.”
· Rick Hendrick, Owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group: “This is a terrific opportunity for Alex to get back into a competitive environment and work with a championship-caliber team. I think he’ll pick up right where he left off. It’s also a valuable platform for us to promote HendrickCars.com in our (Hendrick Automotive Group’s) home market. Chip is a great friend, and we’re looking forward to working with his team on and off the track.”
· Alex Bowman, Driver, No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro: “I’m really excited to get back in a race-winning car with a team like CGR. A huge thanks to Chip and Mr. Hendrick for putting this together for me to get some valuable seat time heading into 2018. My goal is to win two races and help the No. 42 team win the NXS owners’ championship.”
About Chip Ganassi Racing:
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, two cars in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, two factory Ford GT’s in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and two factory Ford GT’s in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Overall his teams have 18 championships and more than 195 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, seven Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.
