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Ganassi completes triple sweep
Source: Agencies |
July 27, 2010, Tuesday
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WITH Jamie McMurray's victory in the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, owner Chip Ganassi claimed the first team triple crown in American auto racing: winning the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year.
Success in Indy-style racing is nothing new for Ganassi. But now his Nascar team has emerged from its past struggles on and off the track to become a force in stock cars. And they seem to be at their best in big events.
"Chip is the most dedicated person in racing I ever met," said Felix Sabates, Ganassi's business partner in Nascar.
McMurray won the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, and Ganassi IndyCar series driver Dario Franchitti won the Indy 500 in May.
McMurray then won again at the Brickyard, making him a surprise winner of Nascar's two biggest races and handing Ganassi an achievement which second-place finisher Kevin Harvick said probably will never happen again.
"To win all those in one year is remarkable," Harvick said.
Ganassi's Sunday got a little sweeter when Scott Dixon won the IRL race in Canada.
McMurray also noted that Ganassi's sports car racing team nearly won the 24 Hours of Daytona earlier this year.
"It's just so hard to get both organizations good at the same time," McMurray said. "And this race, the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 are races of strategy. You see guys dominate those races and not win. So it's remarkable what he's been able to put together, the people he's been able to hire. I feel very honored to get to be a part of that accomplishment."
Ganassi is known to some in the garage for his tough-guy persona, but he was humbled by Sunday's victory.
"You have to plan your work and work your plan and have some passion about what you're doing," Ganassi said. "You have to love what you're doing. I love what I'm doing."
Ganassi competed in Indy-style cars as a driver, then went on to rival Roger Penske as one of the team owners. But he had a hard time duplicating that success when he crossed over to Nascar.
Success in Indy-style racing is nothing new for Ganassi. But now his Nascar team has emerged from its past struggles on and off the track to become a force in stock cars. And they seem to be at their best in big events.
"Chip is the most dedicated person in racing I ever met," said Felix Sabates, Ganassi's business partner in Nascar.
McMurray won the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, and Ganassi IndyCar series driver Dario Franchitti won the Indy 500 in May.
McMurray then won again at the Brickyard, making him a surprise winner of Nascar's two biggest races and handing Ganassi an achievement which second-place finisher Kevin Harvick said probably will never happen again.
"To win all those in one year is remarkable," Harvick said.
Ganassi's Sunday got a little sweeter when Scott Dixon won the IRL race in Canada.
McMurray also noted that Ganassi's sports car racing team nearly won the 24 Hours of Daytona earlier this year.
"It's just so hard to get both organizations good at the same time," McMurray said. "And this race, the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 are races of strategy. You see guys dominate those races and not win. So it's remarkable what he's been able to put together, the people he's been able to hire. I feel very honored to get to be a part of that accomplishment."
Ganassi is known to some in the garage for his tough-guy persona, but he was humbled by Sunday's victory.
"You have to plan your work and work your plan and have some passion about what you're doing," Ganassi said. "You have to love what you're doing. I love what I'm doing."
Ganassi competed in Indy-style cars as a driver, then went on to rival Roger Penske as one of the team owners. But he had a hard time duplicating that success when he crossed over to Nascar.
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