CONCORD, NC (Nov. 18, 2014) – Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that Matt McCall has been named crew chief for Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 team. McCall will assume the role effective immediately to prepare for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season.
McCall joins CGRFS from Richard Childress Racing where he most recently has been the race engineer for the No. 31 Chevrolet that made it to the Championship round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, ultimately finishing the season second in the championship point standings.
McCall is also a former driver who has competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Racing Series. In fact, racing has been in his blood from an early age as he began racing go-karts at age nine and eventually joined the World Karting Association Dirt Series where he would ultimately win the honor of Grand National Champion. He would also go on to race in Super Sport events as well.
The Denver, NC native graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a major in mechanical engineering. The 33-year-old McCall is also passionate about fitness and holds a third-degree black belt in karate.
McMurray will begin his 13th full-time season in the NSCS in 2015. The 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 Winner added another big win to his resume this year with a victory in the 2014 Sprint All-Star race. In nearly 450 career NSCS starts he has accumulated seven wins, 11 poles, 121 top-10 and 52 top-five finishes.
CGRFS Quote Board:
· Chip Ganassi, Owner, CGRFS: “We are very pleased to add a crew chief like Matt to what we feel is a team and program that is certainly on the rise and feel that he can take it to the next level. Matt brings a lot to the table that we are thrilled to have. He has been a successful race engineer for the No. 31 team and has the added experience of being a driver, which we feel will add to his success in leading the No. 1 team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will mesh very well with Jamie and the whole team. We couldn’t be happier.”
· Matt McCall, Crew Chief, No. 1 Team: “I am very excited to join the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team. This organization is one that everyone in the garage has taken notice of in 2014 and I am just looking forward to the opportunity to make them even better. We have a group of very talented people building and driving the race cars here and I can’t wait to get started.”
· Jamie McMurray, Driver, No. 1 Chevrolet: “I am really looking forward to 2015 and beginning to work with Matt. As a team, I think we will carry a lot of momentum into Daytona and the hiring of Matt will continue to move the program forward.”
About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
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 over 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 chipganassiracing.com
