Chip Ganassi Racing’s exit from NASCAR wasn’t all flowers and sunshine. Having entered the sport during its heyday in 2001, the team won 15 Cup Series races, which included crown jewel wins like the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. But the controversy surrounding Kyle Larson and the financial burden of the sponsorship, Ganassi had to make a tough call and sell his charters to Justin Marks, who would later go on to form Trackhouse Racing.
If we are to compare these wins to Ganassi’s operations at IMSA (64) and IndyCar (125), these NASCAR numbers look bleak. Not only that, the former NASCAR team owner has operations spread across Extreme E and WEC, competing at events like the 24 Hours of Daytona and Le Mans. So, if anyone has a clue how different racing series operate, it is Chip, and Kevin Harvick was curious which discipline he finds more suitable in terms of culture.
It was a tricky question, and given his exit from NASCAR, the pendulum could’ve swung either way, but the stock car racing world. However, the 67-year-old’s answer wasn’t biased at all, rather, he felt he appreciated working in different environments and was able to thrive, thanks to the founding members of these series.
Speaking on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Ganassi stated, “Yeah, that’s a good question. I think each series has their own culture. None of them are good or bad, they just are what they are. It’s a culture that’s developed because of people like the France family, the Wood Brothers, Pettys, Banjo Matthews. All these people are from a long time ago. It’s a culture that you and I grew up in, in that formula of racing. Same thing here in IndyCar racing, the culture here in IndyCar racing, was born out of AJ Foyt, Bobby Unser, and Mario Andretti. Teams that go way back in the sport, Penske, Hillen, Lindsey Hopkins, all these guys were running way back in the ’60s.”
According to Ganassi, he always found himself at home, be it IndyCar or NASCAR. The two major American motorsport series have their own stories, and while his racing career was with open-wheel racing, he doesn’t hold any bias towards a particular one. The only disappointment for CGR was perhaps that they couldn’t make the most of the talent they had during their time at NASCAR.
Kyle Petty, Martin Truex Jr, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Sterling Marlin, Robby Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson, all raced for CGR, yet they couldn’t create a space for themselves like Stewart-Haas Racing did. They became part of the Big 4, and interestingly, Kevin Harvick was the one who led the charge for the Ford-backed team back in 2014.
ST PETERSBURG, FL – MARCH 28: Chip Ganassi owner of the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team looks on during practice for the Verizon IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at the Streets of St. Petersburg on March 28, 2014 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
“We won some big races… we lost some big ones too. It’s unfortunate when you’ve been in this business so long, the more you remember the ones you lost than the ones you won.” Ganassi said while exiting NASCAR. Interestingly, the team Trackhouse Racing has seen good success in such a short span, they have already snagged 8 Cup Series wins and already made it to the championship race in Phoenix.
Ganassi still keeps an eye out for prominent NASCAR talents, and he was asked to predict who could be the next driver to attempt the historic ‘Double’, after Kyle Larson.
Chip Ganassi feels Christopher Bell is next in line to attempt the Memorial Day double
Only five drivers have attempted to run the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Completing 1,100 miles across the two marquee events is something that only Tony Stewart has been able to complete successfully, back in 2001. Like Smoke, Kyle Larson is making his return to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing to make amends for his misfortunes of last year. But, ever since the HMS driver has made this leap, more and more NASCAR drivers are now linked to make their debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch has expressed his wish, but his opportunities were foiled by Coach Gibbs and then by Larson. Then there’s Ryan Blaney, who is in the Team Penske camp, making his switch seamless. But Chip Ganassi believes Christopher Bell is the driver that he would like to see next at the Indy 500.“Yeah, maybe that kid that drives for Gibbs, Bell. Christopher Bell. He’d be someone. I went to Turkey Night, and we were watching Larson. It was after we’d already signed him, and there he was duking out with Bell in a USAC midget.”
The driver of the No. 20 car has expressed his wish to do the double duty if given the opportunity. “Yeah, for sure. They haven’t just been a huge part of my career… I’d be the first one to raise my hand to do it.” Now that Joe Gibbs has lifted the embargo on JGR drivers, allowing them to race in different series and disciplines, who knows, we just might see Bell in an open-wheel car at the Indy 500.
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