Catchfence

Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR)

Race: Kentucky Indy 300 on Saturday, September 4 (8:00 PM ET, VERSUS)

Track: Kentucky Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval)

Location: Sparta, Kentucky

NOTES / NEWS

Team Target at Kentucky: Team Target has claimed one win (Dixon, 2008), two poles (2008, 2009), six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, leading 338 laps along the way.

Chip Ganassi Day: The Pittsburgh City Council declared Tuesday, August 31 “Chip Ganassi Day,” honoring Ganassi and his race teams for their exceptional 2010 season. Councilman Bill Peduto presented the proclamation during a council meeting, commenting that Ganassi is one of Pittsburgh’s greatest champions after his teams were the first to win the “Triple Crown” of American racing. Ganassi driver Jamie McMurray kicked off the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season by winning the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500. In May Ganassi’s IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dario Franchitti won the historic Indianapolis 500, followed by McMurray claiming the Brickyard 400 in late July.

GRAND-AM Championship: TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates clinched the GRAND-AM Rolex Series team championship with their eighth win of the 2010 season in Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas gave Ganassi his fourth GRAND-AM Series Championship and his 11th overall championship since 1996 (CART: 4; IndyCar: 3).

Organization Record: Last weekend, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc. celebrated another historic landmark in 2010, breaking the organization win record. Saturday afternoon, Ganassi drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas scored a victory at Circuit Giles Villeneuve in Montreal, which gave the organization its 15th win of 2010, breaking the previous record of 14 set in 2009. The 15th win was immediately followed by the 16th, with Dario Franchitti’s IZOD IndyCar Series win at Chicagoland on Saturday Night. There are still 16 remaining events across all three series (NASCAR:12; IndyCar: 3; GRAND-AM: 1).

No Stranger to Victory Lane: Since 2008, Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won 16 of the last 26 oval events run in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Love Turning Left: Of Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 39 wins in the IZOD IndyCar Series, 27 have come on ovals (68%).

More Mile and a Half Magic: With Dario Franchitti’s victory last weekend, Target Chip Ganassi Racing has accumulated 17 wins (Chicagoland: 2006, 2010; Homestead: 1996, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; Kansas: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010; Kentucky: 2008; Motegi: 2002, 2009; Texas: 2002, 2008) 15 poles and 34 podiums at 1.5-mile tracks (Chicagoland, Homestead, Kansas, Kentucky, Motegi, Texas) since 1996.

Leading the Way: Target Chip Ganassi Racing has led 3,050 laps at 1.5-mile tracks since 1996, totaling 4,575 miles. This is more than half the distance that Target Chip Ganassi Racing will travel to the next stop on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule in Motegi, Japan.

Home Stretch Success: Team Target drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon have five wins and seven poles between them in the three final IZOD IndyCar Series events (Kentucky, Motegi and Homestead).

Dario Franchitti and the No. 10 Dixie Team

Dario at Kentucky: In five starts at Kentucky, Franchitti has four top-10 finishes, a best finish of sixth in 2004 and 2009, and has 52 laps led.

Climbing the List: Franchitti’s win at Chicagoland marked his 26th Indy car racing victory, tying Rodger Ward for 11th on the all-time list (USAC, CART, IZOD IndyCar Series). Next up on the list is Johnny Rutherford with 27. Since the 2009 season, Franchitti has climbed 12 positions on the all-time win list (2009: Long Beach, Iowa, Toronto, Sonoma, Homestead; 2010: Indianapolis, Mid-Ohio, Chicagoland).

Streaking: Since his 18th-place finish at Iowa on June 20th, Franchitti has not finished off of the podium (two wins, a second, and three third-place finishes). He is also hoping to add to his qualifying steak. In the last 10 races this season, he has not qualified outside of the top-five.

Points: With the win last weekend, Franchitti remains second in the championship with 505 points, gaining 36 points on leader Will Power (just 23 points out of the top spot).

Chicagoland Recap: Franchitti lined-up second on the grid and ran in the top-five for the first half of the race. After a caution on lap 173, the team pitted from seventh and Franchitti grabbed the lead after a strategic fuel-only pit stop. The call proved to be a winner as the team would lead every remaining lap of the 200-lap race.

Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Target Team

History at Kentucky: In seven starts at Kentucky, Dixon has one victory (2008), two poles (2008, 2009), four top-five and five top-10 finishes, leading 272 laps along the way.

Tire-Testing: On Tuesday, August 31st and Wednesday, September 1st Dixon participated in a two-day Firestone Tire test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Dixon was joined by fellow competitor Tony Kanaan for the test in preparation for the upcoming IZOD IndyCar Series Race on August 14, 2011.

All-Time Lap Leader: Dixon sits fifth all-time in laps led (272) at Kentucky (Frank Kimmel: 553; Kyle Busch: 311; Sam Hornish Jr.: 288; Tony Kanaan: 286). He and Kanaan are the only open wheel drivers to be ranked in the top-10.

Points: After finishing eighth at Chicagoland, Dixon remains third in the championship with 443 points, 85 points out of the top spot.

Chicagoland Recap: Dixon lined-up 15th on the grid and passed his way into the top-five by lap 65. He ran in the top-five throughout the better part of the race until a lapped car forced contact with the No.11 car. He would re-group to finish eighth.

- Target Chip Ganassi Racing Press Release