Track: Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile Oval)
Location: Joliet, Illinois
NOTES / NEWS
Team Target at Chicagoland: Team Target has claimed one win (Wheldon, 2006), eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, leading 429 laps along the way.
No Stranger to Victory Lane: Since 2008, Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won 15 of the last 25 oval events run in the IZOD IndyCar Series. In those 25 races, the team has claimed 45 podium finishes between both Team Target Drivers.
Love Turning Left: Of Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 38 wins in the IZOD IndyCar Series, 26 have come on ovals (68%).
Mile and a Half Magic: Since 1996, Target Chip Ganassi Racing has accumulated 15 wins (Chicagoland: 2006; Homestead: 1996, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; Kansas: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010; Kentucky: 2008; Motegi: 2002, 2009; Texas: 2002) 15 poles, and 34 podiums at 1.5-mile tracks (Chicagoland, Homestead, Kansas, Kentucky, Motegi, Texas).
Leading the Way: Target Chip Ganassi Racing has led 3,022 laps at 1.5-mile tracks since 1996, totaling 4,533 miles. This is equal to running 552 laps at Chicagoland then flying to Dario Franchitti’s hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Home Stretch Success: Team Target drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon have six wins and seven poles between them in the last four IZOD IndyCar Series events (Chicago, Kentucky, Motegi and Homestead).
Did you Know: Eleven years ago last week (August 22, 1999) current Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya won the CART Series’ Inaugural Target Grand Prix of Chicago at Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero, IL, leading 132 of 225 laps.
Dario Franchitti and the No. 10 Breathe Right Team
Media Alerts: Two-time Indianapolis 500 Winner Dario Franchitti will be at the Breathe Right Nasal Strip Tent at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday August 28 at 3:30 PM for a Meet & Greet with fans. There will also be a photo opportunity with Dario and the car on Friday, August 27 at 10:30 AM on pit lane following opening practice to unveil his new custom paint scheme.
Franchitti’s No. 10 Car will Breathe Right: Target Chip Ganassi Racing will feature Breathe Right Advanced Nasal Strips on Dario Franchitti’s No. 10 Honda Dallara in Chicago. The custom paint scheme will feature a Breathe Right nasal strip on the nose of his Target Chip Ganassi Racing Indy car.
Breathe Right Advanced is the newest addition to the Breathe Right nasal strip family. The newly patented strip is designed to make four points of contact to increase airflow and help open nasal passages more completely. Breathe Right Advanced nasal strips are now available at Target stores nationwide to help all consumers breathe better so they can sleep better at night.
Dario at Chicagoland: In four starts at Chicagoland, Franchitti has one victory (2007), a pole (2007), two top-five and two top-10 finishes, leading 44 laps along the way.
Streaking: Since his 18th-place finish at Iowa June 20th, Franchitti has not finished off of the podium (one win, a second, and three third-place finishes). He is also hoping to add to his qualifying steak. In the last nine races this season, he has not qualified outside of the top-five.
Points: After his third-place finish at Infineon, Franchitti remains second in the championship with 455 points – just 59 points behind leader Power.
Infineon Recap: Franchitti started in the third position and ran in the top three throughout the race. He quickly made his way up to second on lap 18, and on lap 61 let his Target teammate take up with fight with Power. He would ultimately finish third, joining Dixon on the podium.
Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Target Team
History at Chicagoland: In seven starts at Chicagoland, Dixon has five top-five and six top-10 finishes, leading 140 laps along the way.
Five Times the Bridesmaid: In seven appearances at Chicagoland, Dixon has five runner-up finishes to his credit. Chicagoland continues to be the only 1.5-mile track on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule where he has not claimed a victory.
Second All-Time: Dixon ranks second only to Sam Hornish Jr (six podiums, average finish 2.7) all-time at Chicagoland Speedway in podiums (5) and average finish (5.1) of drivers with at least two starts at the 1.5-mile oval.
Leading Laps: Dixon sits fifth all-time (140) in laps led at Chicagoland in an open wheel car (Dan Wheldon: 320; Sam Hornish Jr.: 253; Helio Castroneves: 178; Tony Kanaan: 144). He and Kanaan are the only drivers to be ranked in the top-five without a victory at the track.
Points: After finishing second at Sonoma, Dixon remains third in the championship with 419 points – 95 points out of the top spot.
Infineon Recap: Dixon lined-up sixth on the grid and passed his way into the top-three by just lap 24. He ran in the top three throughout the remainder of the race, challenging eventual winner Will Power for the lead in the closing laps.
About Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR)
Target Chip Ganassi Racing is the reigning Indianapolis 500 Winner and two-time reigning IZOD IndyCar Series Champion. Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with sponsor, Target. Today, Target Chip Ganassi Racing includes two entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series for 2008/2003 Champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner Scott Dixon, and 2009/2007 Champion and 2010/2007 Indianapolis 500 Winner Dario Franchitti. Target Chip Ganassi Racing has collected seven Championships and 78 wins since 1994 and operates out of a state-of-the-art race shop facility in Indianapolis, with a corporate office in Pittsburgh.
- Target Chip Ganassi Racing Press Release
