DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – On Sunday, car owner Chip Ganassi accomplished a feat that has never been done before in motorsports – winning both the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and the Indianapolis 500 IZOD Indy Car Series race in the same year.
Ganassi captured the 94th Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti. Franchitti, who started third, led a race-high 155 laps on his way to victory.
It was Ganassi’s fourth career win as an owner in the prestigious open-wheel event.
Earlier this year, Ganassi captured the 52nd running of “The Great American Race” with driver Jamie McMurray and joined owner Roger Penske as the only two owners to have captured both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.
But now Ganassi has won them both in the same year, a milestone that has never been achieved in racing.
“It’s a challenge to win either one of these prestigious races, but for Chip Ganassi to win both in the same year is a remarkable achievement,” Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. “To be able to say he has won two of the greatest races in the motorsports world in the same year is a testament to his extraordinary abilities as an owner.”
In addition to his Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 victories, Ganassi’s team became the first to win three consecutive overall titles in the Rolex 24 At Daytona GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series event between 2006-08.
Tickets for the Coke Zero 400 Weekend Powered By Coca-Cola are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
The 52nd annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola will be the final race on the current asphalt of Daytona International Speedway. Following the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola, the entire 2.5-mile tri-oval will be repaved for only the second time in its history.
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