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Chip Ganassi

{{Short description|American racing team owner}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Chip Ganassi

| image = Chip Ganassi, 2023.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Ganassi at Le Mans in 2023

| birth_name = Floyd Ganassi Jr.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|5|24}}

| birth_place = Monessen, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| known_for =

| education = Fox Chapel Area High School

| alma_mater = Duquesne University (BA)

| employer = Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

| occupation = Owner and CEO, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

| years_active = 1990–present

| website = [http://www.chipganassiracing.com/ ChipGanassiRacing.com]

| footnotes =

}}

Floyd Ganassi Jr. (born May 24, 1958), better known as Chip Ganassi, is an American businessman, former racing driver, current team owner and member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. He has been involved with the North American auto racing scene for over 30 years. He is owner and CEO of Chip Ganassi Racing which operates teams in the IndyCar Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, and Extreme E. He is the only team owner in history to have won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and most recently the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Racing driver

Ganassi attended the Bob Bondurant Driving School in 1977 while a student at the Fox Chapel Area High School.{{Cite web|date=September 16, 2004|title=Fox Chapel district to honor Ganassi|url=https://archive.triblive.com/ccpa/?page=/news/fox-chapel-district-to-honor-ganassi/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=TribLIVE.com|language=en-US}} He won his first auto race in a Formula Ford at the age of 18. He began his CART (Champ Car) racing career [Ed. at Trenton Speedway in 1978-`79—see Talk Page] in 1982 upon graduating from Duquesne. Though a broken camshaft kept him from completing his first CART race at Phoenix, Ganassi qualified with the fastest speed, 197 mph, and competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, with a best finish of 8th in 1983. He was voted the Most Improved Driver in 1983, and took 9th position in the CART standings. During that season, he took Patrick Racing’s Wildcat onto the podium twice, the first at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, then again at Laguna Seca. The following season, he would go on and finish a career best second in to 1984 Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland.

Ganassi's career career was cut short by a crash at the 1984 Michigan 500, the race immediately following the Grand Prix of Cleveland. In one of many major accidents to occur in that year's race, Ganassi spun his car coming off one of the banked turns, and collided with Al Unser Jr.'s car. Ganassi's car then skated across the grass run-off area, slammed into the inside Armco barrier, tumbled multiple times and broke apart. Unser was uninjured, but Ganassi suffered serious head injuries. When CART doctor Stephen Olvey reached Ganassi he found him unconscious and unresponsive, and initially feared that Ganassi had been killed in the accident. When Olvey was about to start administering CPR, Ganassi resumed breathing. He was airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital. After a time he regained consciousness, and while initially suffered short term memory loss he would go on to feel he had made a full recovery.{{cite AV media |people= Directed by Michael William Miles, Roger Hinze|date=2019 |title=Rapid Response |trans-title= |type= |language=English |url=https://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Response-Stephen-Olvey/dp/B081K85BVN/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |archive-url= |archive-date= |format= |time= |location= |publisher= A Mile A Way Productions |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }} Ganassi never returned to driving full-time after the accident,{{cite journal|last=Vettraino|first=J.T.|title=Inside His Mind|journal=Autoweek|date=September 17, 2012|volume=62|issue=19|pages=70–75}}Wicker, Ned. IndyCar Champion – A Season with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, Motorbooks International, 1997, page 10{{Cite web |url=http://www.chipganassiracing.com/About-CGRT/History-of-CGRT.aspx |title=History of CGRT |access-date=2018-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228180006/http://www.chipganassiracing.com/About-CGRT/History-of-CGRT.aspx |archive-date=2017-02-28 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.niashf.org/inductees/chip-ganassi/|title=Chip Ganassi|date=8 November 2012|access-date=29 July 2018|archive-date=3 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203212456/http://www.niashf.org/inductees/chip-ganassi/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1983/R|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131104231316/http://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1983/R|archive-date = 2013-11-04|title = Driver Season Stats}}{{cite web|url=http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1983/R|title=Driver Chip Ganassi 1983 CART Results|website=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=29 July 2018}} although briefly drove in both CART and IMSA in 1986. Ganassi achieved his top sportscar result in the 1986 Kodak Copies 500 at Watkins Glen that taking the Camel Light class victory, with his race partner, Bob Earl (7th overall). He also recorded a seventh-place finish a month early in the Löwenbräu Classic, at Road America, assisted by David Sears. Both times driving for Spice Engineering, in one for their Spice-Pontiac SE86CL. In what was to be his last international race outing, Ganassi was entered into the 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans, as a member of the Kouros Racing. One of his teammates for the event, Johnny Dumfries set the fastest lap of the race prior to handing the car over to Ganassi upon whom the gearbox broke.[http://www.racingsportscars.com/drivers/archive/Chip-Ganassi-USA.html]{{dead link|date=August 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}Ken Wells, “Jaguar vs. Porsche – The Battle for Le Mans 1987" (William Kimberley Limited, {{ISBN|0 946132 43 7}}, 1987)

Team owner

File:Ganassi-Ranier.JPG at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2014]]

{{Main|Chip Ganassi Racing}}

Personal life

Ganassi was formerly a vice president of FRG Group, his father's organization involved in commercial real estate, transportation and other areas. In addition to his racing interests, he is also a former minority owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates major league baseball team. Ganassi is a strong supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, to which his teams have donated over US$500,000.{{Cite web |url=http://www.chipganassiracing.com/About-CGRT/Chip-Ganassi.aspx |title=Chip Ganassi |access-date=2016-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715192919/http://www.chipganassiracing.com/About-CGRT/Chip-Ganassi.aspx |archive-date=2016-07-15 |url-status=dead }}

He attended the Monessen School district prior to his family moving to the Fox Chapel. He graduated from the Fox Chapel Area High School in 1978 and with a degree in finance from Duquesne University in 1982.Wicker, Ned. IndyCar Champion - A Season with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, Motorbooks International, 1997, page 9 He received an Honorary Doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University in 2011.

Ganassi appeared in Sylvester Stallone's movie Driven, the film took place in fictionalized 2001 season. He is credited as "Team Owner" and fielded Til Schweiger played as Beau Brendenburg.

Awards

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2016.[http://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/chip-ganassi.html Chip Ganassi] at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

Racing record

=Career highlights=

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
Season

! Series

! Position

! Team

! Car

1981

| Robert Bosch Formula Super Vee Championship{{cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/formula-super-vee-usa-robert-bosch-valvoline-championship/1981/|title=Formula Super Vee USA Robert Bosch/Valvoline Championship 1981 standings|website=Driverdb.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.teamdan.com/archive/www2/superv/81svrob.html|title=1981 Robert Bosch Formula Super Vee Championship|first=Darren|last=Galpin|website=Teamdan.com|access-date=29 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210803/http://www.teamdan.com/archive/www2/superv/81svrob.html|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}

| 6th

|

| March-Volkswagen 79/80SV
Ralt-Volkswagen RT5

1981-82

| USAC Gold Crown Series{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/yeardet/1981/UO|title=USAC Gold Crown Series standings for 1981|website=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=29 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/usac-national-championship/1982/|title=USAC Gold Crown Championship 1982 standings|website=Driverdb.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}

| 37th

| First Commercial Corp.

| Wildcat-Cosworth

1982

| PPG Indy Car World Series{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/yeardet/1982/R|title=CART standings for 1982|website=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=29 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/champ-car-world-series/1982/|title=PPG Indy Car World Series 1982 standings|website=Driverdb.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}

| 34th

| Rhoades Racing

| Wildcat-Cosworth

1982-83

| USAC Gold Crown Series{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/yeardet/1982/UO|title=USAC Gold Crown Series standings for 1982|website=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=29 July 2018}}

| 16th

| Patrick Racing

| Wildcat-Cosworth

1983

| PPG Indy Car World Series{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/yeardet/1983/R|title=CART standings for 1983|website=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=29 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/champ-car-world-series/1983/|title=PPG Indy Car World Series 1983 standings|website=Driverdb.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}

| 9th

| Patrick Racing

| Wildcat-Cosworth

1983-84

| USAC Gold Crown Series{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/yeardet/1983/UO|title=USAC Gold Crown Series standings for 1983|website=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=29 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/usac-national-championship/1984/|title=USAC Gold Crown Championship 1984 standings|website=Driverdb.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}

| 32nd

| Patrick Racing

| March-Cosworth 84C

1984

| PPG Indy Car World Series{{cite web|url=http://racing-reference.info/yeardet/1984/R|title=CART standings for 1984|website=Racing-Reference.info|access-date=29 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/champ-car-world-series/1984/|title=PPG Indy Car World Series 1984 standings|website=Driverdb.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}

| 20th

| Patrick Racing

| Wildcat-Cosworth
March-Cosworth 84C

1986

| IMSA Camel Light Championship{{cite web|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/atlantic/year/1995.htm|title=1995 Player's Toyota Atlantic Championship|website=Champcarstats.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.driverdb.com/championships/standings/imsa-camel-lights/1986/|title=IMSA Camel Lights 1986 standings|website=Driverdb.com|access-date=29 July 2018}}

| 35th

| Spice Engineering

| Spice-Pontiac SE86CL

=American open-wheel racing results=

(key)

==CART==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"

! Year

! Team

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! Rank

! Points

! Ref

1981

! Brayton Racing

| PHX1

| MIL1

| ATL1

| ATL2

| MIS

| RIV

| MIL2

| MIS2

| WGL

| MEX

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| PHX2
{{small|DNQ}}

|

|

|

|

|

|

! NC

! -

! {{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1981/R|title=Chip Ganassi – 1981 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1982

! Rhoades Racing

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|PHX1
{{small|22}}

|ATL

|MIL1

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|CLE
{{small|11}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|MIS1
{{small|31}}

|MIL2

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|POC
{{small|17}}

|RIV

|ROA

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|MIS2
{{small|16}}

|PHX2

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|34th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|10

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1982/R|title=Chip Ganassi – 1982 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1983

! Patrick Racing

|ATL

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|INDY
{{small|8}}

|MIL

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|CLE
{{small|13}}

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|MIS1
{{small|8}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|ROA
{{small|21}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|POC
{{small|26}}

|RIV

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|MDO
{{small|25}}

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|MIS2
{{small|6}}

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"|LVG
{{small|3}}

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"|LS
{{small|3}}

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|PHX
{{small|5}}

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|9th

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|56

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1983/R|title=Chip Ganassi – 1983 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

1984

! Patrick Racing

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|LBH
{{small|25}}

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|PHX1
{{small|11}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|INDY
{{small|28}}

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|MIL
{{small|11}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|POR
{{small|15}}

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|MEA
{{small|9}}

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|CLE
{{small|2}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|MIS1
{{small|27}}

|ROA

|POC

|MDO

|SAN

|MIS2

|PHX2

|LS

|LVG

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|20th

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|24

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1984/R|title=Chip Ganassi – 1984 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

rowspan="2"| 1985

! A. J. Foyt Enterprises

|LBH

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|INDY
{{small|22}}

|MIL

|POR

|MEA

|CLE

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|rowspan="2" style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 51st

|rowspan="2" style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 0

!rowspan=2|{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1985/R|title=Chip Ganassi – 1985 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

Machinists Union Racing

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|MIS1
{{small|22}}

|ROA

|POC

|MDO

|SAN

|MIS2

|LS

|PHX

|MIA

|

|

1986

! Machinists Union Racing

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|PHX1
{{small|14}}

|LBH

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|INDY
{{small|21}}

|MIL

|POR

|MEA

|CLE

|TOR

|MIS1

|POC

|MDO

|SAN

|MIS2

|ROA

|LS

|PHX2

|MIA

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|43rd

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|0

!{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/ganasch01/1986/R|title=Chip Ganassi – 1986 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 17, 2023}}

==Indianapolis 500==

{{col-begin|width=auto}}

{{col-break}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Year

!Car

!Start

!Qual

!Rank

!Finish

!Laps

!Led

!Retired

1982

|12

|11

|197.705

|13

|15

|147

|0

|Engine

1983

|60

|16

|197.608

|24

|8

|195

|0

|Running

1984

|40

|22

|201.612

|28

|28

|61

|0

|Engine

1985

|84

|25

|206.104

|25

|22

|121

|0

|Fuel Line

1986

|31

|26

|207.590

|31

|29

|70

|0

|Head Gasket

colspan=6|Totals

|594

|0

|

{{col-break|gap=1em}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Starts

|5

Poles

|0

Front Row

|0

Wins

|0

Top 5

|0

Top 10

|1

Retired

|4

{{col-end}}

=Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
Year

! Team

! Co-Drivers

! Car

! Class

! Laps

! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}

! {{Tooltip|Class
Pos.|Class Position}}

1987

|align="left"| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Kouros Racing

|align="left"| {{flagicon|GBR}} Johnny Dumfries
{{flagicon|New Zealand}} Mike Thackwell

|align="left"| Sauber-Mercedes C9

| C1

| 37

| colspan=2| DNF
(Gearbox)

=Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
Year

! Team

! Co-Drivers

! Car

! Class

! Laps

! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}

! {{Tooltip|Class
Pos.|Class Position}}

1986

|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} RC Buick Hawk/Conte

|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} John Paul Jr.
{{flagicon|ITA}} Ivan Capelli
{{flagicon|USA}} Whitney Ganz

|align="left"| March-Buick 85G

| GTP

| 310

| colspan=2| DNF
(Engine)

=Complete 24 Hours of Spa results=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
Year

! Team

! Co-Drivers

! Car

! Class

! Laps

! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}

! {{Tooltip|Class
Pos.|Class Position}}

1980

|align="left"| {{flagicon|Belgium}} I.M.C. Toyota

|align="left"| {{flagicon|Belgium}} Emmanuel Remion
{{flagicon|Belgium}} José Close

|align="left"| Toyota Corolla GT

| ser.T1.6

|

| colspan=2|DNQ

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{wikinews|Chip Ganassi makes American motor sports history}}

  • {{Racing-Reference driver|Chip_Ganassi}}
  • {{Racing-Reference owner|Chip_Ganassi}}
  • [http://www.chipganassiracing.com/ Chip Ganassi Racing]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20091104235759/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/racing/s_649740.html Owner Ganassi gets past financial difficulties]

{{Chip Ganassi Racing}}

{{Patrick Racing}}

{{A. J. Foyt Racing}}

{{Machinists Union Racing}}

{{Indy 500 winners}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-sports}}

{{succession box

| before = Adrian Newey

| title = John Bolster Lifetime Achievement Award

| years = 2010

| after = Giampaolo Dallara}}

{{succession box

| before = n/a

| title = Cameron R. Argetsinger Award

| years = 2014

| after = n/a}}

{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ganassi, Chip}}

Category:1958 births

Category:Duquesne University alumni

Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers

Category:IndyCar Series team owners

Category:Living people

Category:NASCAR team owners

Category:Racing drivers from Pittsburgh

Category:Sportspeople from Pittsburgh

Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers

Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers

Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers

Category:24 Hours of Spa drivers

Category:SCCA Formula Super Vee drivers

Category:People from Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania

Category:American people of Italian descent

Category:A. J. Foyt Enterprises drivers

Category:Sports car racing team owners

Category:Sauber Motorsport drivers