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Ganassi completes Road America IndyCar, IMSA sweep

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ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Chip Ganassi Racing has managed success across most of its teams in the 2017 season, regardless of which series it competes in.

Today the team now completed a sweep of the Verizon IndyCar Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races at Road America, following its win in the GT Le Mans class in Sunday’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase.

Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller converted Mueller’s pole position into the No. 66 Ford GT’s second win of the season (Rolex 24 at Daytona). And after Scott Dixon won the IndyCar race here a little over a month ago, it means Ganassi has now conquered the track with both its teams this year.

They’ll have a chance to go for a three-peat later this month in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, when Justin Marks drives the No. 42 Katerra Chevrolet here. Marks won last year at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Xfinity and will race for the team there next week.

Additionally, Ford is the sixth different manufacturer in GTLM to win in as many years at Road America. Ford follows Corvette who won last year, then Porsche in 2015, Risi Ferrari in 2014, the SRT Viper in 2013 and BMW in 2012.

Hand had the opportunity to finish today’s race, with Mueller having started from pole. That left Mueller in a position of watching Hand bring the car home, unlike where Hand was at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona this year.

Hand reflected on the final hour, needing to hold off Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 912 Porsche 911 RSR, for the victory.

“I love racing. That’s what I show up for. If people on TV and here didn’t enjoy that race, they probably don’t like racing,” Hand said.

“This team is historically good here. Dirk threw down in the Kink - we’ll call it '#SoFlat’ – so it was a big lap and that started it all off. Managing this race from the front is what you need to do. There were a bunch of good teams and cars. You don’t want to get caught out.

“After a few bad races, coming to the championship, this is what we needed.”

Neither the No. 3 Corvette C7.R nor No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M6 GTLM had a banner day - the top two cars in points finished fourth and sixth - so it gives the Ganassi No. 66 car a great points day.

The sister No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT of Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe finished third, for its fourth podium of the season - all of which have been achieved in the last six races. This also marks the team’s first double podium finish of the season, coming after a front row lockout in qualifying.

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