Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates adds Sage Karam to Watkins Glen lineup

INDIANAPOLIS – Seven-time GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Champions and five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that their development driver Sage Karam will join Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the driver lineup of the No. 01 Telcel Ford EcoBoost Prototype (P) for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (TUSC) Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen International June 29.

Karam competed twice with CGRFS earlier this season in a second Prototype fielded in the TUSC Rolex 24 At Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. He was most recently part of CGRFS’ No. 02 Prototype driver lineup with Verizon IndyCar Series Team Target drivers Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan, who earned the most points from Sebring’s three segments toward the season-ending $100,000 Patrón Endurance Cup for the P class with a sixth-place result.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

About Sage Karam: The reigning Indy Lights Champion, 2011 Star Mazda Rookie of the Year and 2010 USF2000 Champion returns to CGRFS after making his debut with the team in Round 1 of the TUSC in his first start in a sports car at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and again with the team in Round 2 at the 12 Hours of Sebring. He will drive alongside Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas once again after joining them and Jamie McMurray at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Karam also led the team’s four-car Indianapolis 500 effort in his very first Verizon IndyCar Series start with a ninth-place result at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May.

Current Standings: Out of the five races of the 2014 TUSC season, the No. 01 car has won two of those at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach, and is currently third in point standings. The No. 01 car has completed 1,077 of the 1,207 total laps throughout the season and has only finished out of the top 10 once.

Watkins Glen Successes: The No. 01 car has recorded three wins at Watkins Glen International throughout its 10-years in sports car racing. The team has also never finished outside of the top 10 and has been on the podium six times.

Ganassi Driver Development Program: Karam adds to a growing lineup of CGRT development drivers that includes 21-year-old graduate Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) and 18-year-old Dylan Kwasniewski (No. 31 RockStar Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Nationwide Series).

QUOTEBOARD:

Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams: “It is nice to be able to add a very capable driver like Sage to the duo of Pruett and Rojas for the Watkins Glen race. I think it says a lot about the confidence that we all have in him that we would be willing to put someone so young in the No. 01 car. He has done nothing but impress all of us whenever he gets behind the wheel of a car – any car. Whether it is in these prototypes or an Indy car, he has been equally impressive. It is not often when you have someone so young driving with such maturity and calm when he is behind the wheel. I can’t wait to see him in a car again.”

Sage Karam, Driver: “I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel and joining Scott and Memo at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. They’re both such talented drivers and have had so much success in this series and I’m just happy that the team is bringing me on board to be a part of it all and drive with them. After a top-10 finish at the Indianapolis 500, I’m ready to get back out there and continue to show everyone what I can do behind the wheel.”

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates