Mr. October: Chip Ganassi has three victories at Charlotte as a team owner

I bet you did not know that!

Mr. October: Chip Ganassi has three victories as a NSCS team owner at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). All three wins have come in the October race at the Bank of America 500 – Sterling Marlin (2001), Jamie McMurray (2002 and 2010). Ganassi drivers have 59 starts at CMS among nine different drivers that have led 374 laps and accumulate three wins, six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Kyle Larson and No. 51 Target Team Debut Weekend: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) development driver Kyle Larson will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) debut this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Target Chevrolet SS. Larson has just one career start at CMS. On May 25, 2013 he competed in the NNS race where he started 18th and finished fourth.

Double Vision: Fans will see Larson compete in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and NSCS races in nearly identical Target Chevrolets. The young driving sensation will be behind the wheel of the No. 32 Target Camaro in the NNS race on Friday Oct. 11 and the No. 51 Target Chevrolet SS for his NSCS debut on Saturday Oct. 12

Quick Study: Larson, who is competing in his first full-time season in the NNS, currently sits ninth in series point standings with eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 29 starts. The Elk Grove, Calif. native also has two starts this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with one win at Rockingham Speedway and a second-place finish at Eldora Speedway.

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald`s Team Kansas Recap: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) took to the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway for race number four of the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Cessna Chevrolet SS, piloted by Jamie McMurray, had a strong run throughout the 267-lap race, however, untimely cautions that dominated the race would alter pit strategy in the closing laps and the No. 1 team would cross the finish line in 16th position.

McMurray at Charlotte: McMurray returns to the site of his first ever NSCS career victory. Since 2002, McMurray has made 22 starts at CMS where he has five top-five, eight top-10 and two wins in NSCS competition. His best start of fifth came in Oct. 2002 when he made his first start at CMS. McMurray has completed 7308 of 7784 (93.9%) laps on competition and has an average start of 22.5 and average finish of 17.6.

Behind The Scenes: The No. 1 team will partner with NASCAR to take part in the ESPN immersion weekend. NASCAR pairs an influencer from ESPN that is not familiar with the sport, to have the opportunity to sample NASCAR at an unprecedented level. The experience gives the guest a behind the scenes, “hands on” experience. It will also showcase the true excitement of NASCAR and gives teams the opportunity to develop relationships with these key influencers. Sport Center co-host Bram Weinstein will join the McDonald’s team on Saturday to be a team member for the day.

Golden Arches: There’s no reason to go hungry while visiting Charlotte Motor Speedway this week. There are five area McDonald’s conveniently located within five miles of the track including the closest location at 7810 Lyles Lane Concord, NC 28027 – (704) 979-0298

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team Kansas Rewind: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway proved to be an action packed 267-lap event. There was a record 15 caution flags for a total of 71 laps during the Hollywood Casino 400. Juan Pablo Montoya and Team Target started in the 12th position, ran as high as second and had a strong No. 42 Chevy SS until untimely cautions and the subsequent change in track positions would result in an 18th-place finish.

Montoya at Charlotte: Montoya has 13 career NSCS starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His best finish of eighth and best start of ninth came at the spring 2009 race. He has an average starting position of 25.5 and an average finishing position of 23.4 at the mile-and-a-half race track.

Call Me Juan: Homestead-Miami Speedway, for a fifth consecutive year, is partnering with the Montoyas to create “Call Me Juan”— an exclusive meet-and-greet opportunity for fans prior to the Nov. 17 NSCS Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The “Call Me Juan” package, available for $142 (a $187 value) will benefit the Formula Smiles Foundation. The package includes: a ticket to the NSCS finale race, private question and answer session with Montoya, pre-race pit pass, No. 42 Target Chevy SS hat and a $42 donation to Formula Smiles.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing