GRAND-AM: Chip Ganassi Racing Rolex 24 At Daytona Lineup

Chip Ganassi Racing Rolex 24 At Daytona Lineup

Rolex 24 At Daytona Lineup

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 3, 2014) – Seven-time and reigning GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Champions (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and five-time and reigning Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013) Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today its season-long program for the new IMSA-sanctioned TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (USCC) in 2014, including their Rolex 24 At Daytona Lineup .

Long-time partners Telcel and TELMEX return as the primary sponsors of the No. 01 Ford EcoBoost Riley in the Prototype category for the USCC season-long effort piloted by Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in their eighth year together, after finishing the GRAND-AM era as most-successful driving duo in Rolex Sports Car Series history.

In addition, CGRFS will again field two Prototypes for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, featuring eight drivers that represent some of the best talent the motor racing world has to offer.  Pruett and Rojas will unite with CGRFS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) teammate Jamie McMurray and reigning Indy Lights Champion Sage Karam to form the lineup in the No. 01 Telcel/Target/Comfort Revolution Ford EcoBoost Riley, while the Team Target trio of drivers Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Kyle Larson join sports car star Marino Franchitti in the No. 02 Target/Telcel/Big Machine Records Ford EcoBoost Riley.

CGRFS previously announced it would utilize Ford’s 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost racing engine for the 2014 USCC season.

 

NOTES OF INTEREST:

  • New to the Program:  The CGRFS Rolex 24 At Daytona lineup has new faces including the 2013 NNS Rookie of the Year and 2014 driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet in the NSCS, Kyle Larson.  It will also include the 2013 Indy Lights Champion Sage Karam and sports car veteran and 2013 LMP2 ALMS champion, Marino Franchitti.  In addition, the team has added Big Machine Records and Comfort Revolution as two new partners to its longtime partnerships with Telcel and Target.
  • Performing on the Big Stage:  The 2014 CGRFS Rolex 24 At Daytona driver roster is an impressive group of international racing champions representing two Indianapolis 500 titles (Dixon-2008, Kanaan-2013), four Indy car championships (Dixon-2003, 2008, 2013 and Kanaan-2004), nine Prototype championships (Pruett-2004, 2006, Pruett/Rojas-2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and Franchitti-2010, 2013) and nine Rolex 24 At Daytona wins.
  • Championships Galore:  2013 was marked by Chip Ganassi Racing’s 17thChampionship as an organization (INDYCAR: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and USCC: 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), with Pruett and Rojas capturing their fifth championship as teammates (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013).  It also marked the fourth consecutive title for CGRFS (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013).
  • Rolex 24 Success:  CGRFS has the greatest stretch in Rolex 24 At Daytona history highlighted by five wins and two second-place finishes from 2006-2013.  The team also has seven championships (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and 41 race wins – all GRAND-AM records, to their credit since their introduction to sports car racing in 2004.  Chip Ganassi and co-owner Felix Sabates are the only team owners in history to win three-straight Rolex 24 At Daytona events (2006-2008).
  • The Man in GRAND-AM:  Pruett is tied for the all-time record with five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona wins (1994, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013) and along with Rojas is the record holder for GRAND-AM wins in a single season (nine in 2010).  He has never finished outside of the top-two in the GRAND-AM championship.  Pruett and Hurley Haywood are the lone five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners.
  • More on Pruett:  Pruett is the first American to score 12 major sports car championships – his closest competitor is the late Peter Gregg who has seven to his credit.  Pruett’s previous titles include two IMSA GTO Titles (1986, 1988), one IMSA GT Endurance (1986) and three Trans-Am Championships (1987, 1994, 2003).

 

QUOTEBOARD:

Chip Ganassi, Team Owner:

  • “This race is always exciting for me.  Because it is a 24-hour race, there are so many factors that go into having success.  You need the drivers, the people, the equipment and the partners – but most importantly they all have to act as one team and that is where I think our strength lies.  And having a little bit of luck on your side never hurts.  When you make it to victory lane in this race, you know that you have accomplished something really special.  In addition, it is not often when we can bring such a diverse group of drivers from NASCAR, INDYCAR and IMSA together to compete in one race.  It is a great kick off to our racing season.”

 

Jamie Allison, Director, Ford Racing:

  • “Chip Ganassi Racing is a world-class team with some of the best road racers in the world.  The caliber of drivers including Scott Pruett, who started his racing career with Ford and is now the winningest driver in Rolex 24 history really raises the bar.  We’re happy to have that level of talent to showcase what Ford’s EcoBoost technology can do on the race track.”

 

2014 CGRFS Rolex 24 At Daytona Driver Lineup

SCOTT PRUETT – United States (No. 01 Telcel/Target/Comfort Revolution Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 1994, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013 Rolex 24 At Daytona Overall Winner
  • 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Driver and Team Champion

 

MEMO ROJAS – Mexico (No. 01 Telcel/Target/Comfort Revolution Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 2008, 2011, 2013 Rolex 24 At Daytona Overall Winner
  • 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Series Driver and Team Champion

 

JAMIE MCMURRAY – United States (No. 01 Telcel/Target/Comfort Revolution Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 Winner
  • Seven-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Winner
  • 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year

 

SAGE KARAM – United States (No. 01 Telcel/Target/Comfort Revolution Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 2013 Indy Lights Champion
  • 2011 Star Mazda Rookie of the Year
  • 2010 USF2000 Champion

 

SCOTT DIXON – New Zealand (No. 02 Target/Telcel/Big Machine Records Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona Overall Winner
  • 2003, 2008, 2013 IndyCar Series Champion
  • 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner

 

TONY KANAAN – Brazil (No. 02 Target/Telcel/Big Machine Records Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner
  • 2007 12 Hours of Sebring LMP2 Class Winner
  • 2004 IndyCar Series Champion

 

KYLE LARSON – United States (No. 02 Target/Telcel/Big Machine Records Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet (Rookie)
  • 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Rookie of the Year
  • 2012 NASCAR K & N Pro Series East Champion and Rookie of the Year

 

MARINO FRANCHITTI – Scotland (No. 02 Target/Telcel/Big Machine Records Ford EcoBoost Riley)

  • 2010, 2013 LMP2 American LeMans Series Champion
  • 2001 British GTO Champion
  • 1993 Scottish Pro-Kart Champion

 

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 IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Prototype in the TUDOR SportsCar Championship.  Overall his teams have 17 championships and 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five Rolex 24 At Daytonas.  Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto ChipGanassiRacing.com

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