Chip Ganassi has frequently stated on Twitter, when he tweets, the hashtag #ILikeWinners.
He and his Chip Ganassi Racing Teams have several shots to pull them off this weekend, even more than normal, in what might be one of the most ambitious weekends for one single team in motorsports history.
We’ve noted all of the CGRT race programs this year between NASCAR, IndyCar and sports cars, with a likely Red Bull GRC encore as well.
This weekend, meanwhile, is about to see a cross-continent conquest in the first three disciplines. Ganassi will be fielding a combined 12 cars and 17 drivers between Bristol (NASCAR), Long Beach (IndyCar and IMSA) and Silverstone (FIA WEC).
Ganassi noted it late Monday night, and the team replied to my earlier joking Homer Simpson GIF noting the level of racing content this weekend.
Big weekend coming up for @CGRTeams @NASCAR @IndyCar @FIAWEC @IMSA. Every race. Every Lap. Every day. #ilikewinners
— Chip Ganassi (@GanassiChip) April 12, 2016
Why...That's exactly how we feel @tonydizinno! 5 series. 10 cars. 14 drivers. #racingiswhatwedo https://t.co/fr5VkgsKHh
— Chip Ganassi Racing (@CGRTeams) April 12, 2016
So where can you catch Ganassi cars this weekend? Here’s the respective lineups:
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Jamie McMurray, driver of the #1 McDonald’s Chevrolet, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Getty Images
NASCAR, Bristol Motor Speedway (all Chevrolets)
- Sprint Cup (Sunday): 1-Jamie McMurray; 42-Kyle Larson
- Xfinity (Saturday): 42-Larson; 48-Brennan Poole
Verizon IndyCar Series, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (all Chevrolets)
- 8-Max Chilton
- 9-Scott Dixon
- 10-Tony Kanaan
- 83-Charlie Kimball
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix (all Ford GTs, GT Le Mans class)
- 66-Joey Hand/Dirk Mueller
- 67-Richard Westbrook/Ryan Briscoe
FIA World Endurance Championship, 6 Hours of Silverstone (all Ford GTs, GTE-Pro class)
- 66-Olivier Pla/Stefan Muecke/Billy Johnson
- 67-Marino Franchitti/Andy Priaulx/Harry Tincknell
So there you have it. Twelve cars and 17 drivers spread across Tennessee, California and the United Kingdom. Not to mention hundreds of staff and crew members.
This is the first of two weekends where all four of these programs will be in action concurrently.
On the chaotic and similarly crazy Sept. 17-18 weekend, IndyCar wraps its season in Sonoma, the Sprint Cup Series opens its Chase at Chicagoland Speedway, the Xfinity Series also races at Chicagoland, while both the FIA WEC and IMSA Ford GTs will be at Circuit of The Americas on September 17 in Austin.