NTT DATA Expands Partnership with Ganassi on Second Daytona Prototype for Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner Tony Kanaan and Joey Hand to Pilot No.02 NTT DATA BMW

INDIANAPOLIS--()--Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) and NTT DATA announced today an addition to their partnership by fielding a second Daytona Prototype (DP) in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series’ Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) on Friday, July 26 (7:30 p.m. ET, SPEED-Tape Delay).

The No.02 NTT DATA Dinan-Prepared BMW will return to action for the first time since January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona but will now include drivers Tony Kanaan, the reigning Indianapolis 500 Winner, and Joey Hand. The second DP entry will run alongside the season-long effort (No.01 Telcel/TELMEX Dinan-Prepared BMW) driven by reigning Series Champions and Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, who hold the distinction of being the most successful driving duo in series history with 27 race wins.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

  • NTT DATA and Ganassi: NTT DATA returns to Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) for their first primary sponsorship after last partnering with Ganassi on the No. 8 NTT DATA Honda of Ryan Briscoe in this year’s Indianapolis 500 in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Following the Indianapolis 500, NTT DATA has maintained an associate partnership with Ganassi on the No. 83 Indy car of Charlie Kimball.
  • Ganassi’s IMS Glory: Team Owner Chip Ganassi’s history at IMS over the years includes five wins as an owner (tied for second most in history) in the Indianapolis 500 (1989, 2000, 2008, 2010 and 2012) in addition to winning the 2010 Brickyard 400 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He was also the fastest rookie qualifier as a driver in the 1983 Indianapolis 500.
  • GRAND-AM History: CGRFS has six championships (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012) and 41 wins since their introduction to the circuit in 2004 – all GRAND-AM records. CGRFS has the greatest eight-race stretch in Rolex 24 At Daytona history with five wins (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2013) and two second-place finishes (2009, 2010) dating back to 2006. Their one-two finish in the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona marked the quickest a team had reached the five-win mark in the race’s 50-year history.
  • Driver Lineup In-Depth: Kanaan, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner, started his Indy car racing career in 1998 and is a 16-time race winner as well as the 2004 Series Champion. His 209 consecutive Indy car starts streak (dating back to the 2001 CART race in Portland) is second only to Jimmy Vasser's 211. He has raced in the GRAND-AM series twice, both in GT cars in 1998 and 2013. Joey Hand returns to the team for his first GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series start outside of his Rolex 24 At Daytona duties for CGRFS, where he won the 2011 race with the team in his first start. Hand has 61 career starts, six wins, five poles and 20 podiums finishes in the series.

QUOTEBOARD:

John McCain, CEO, NTT DATA:

  • “Chip Ganassi Racing and their teams have an exceptional track record at Indianapolis over the years with wins in both stock car and open wheel categories. We’re enthusiastic about this driver lineup, and look forward to working with both Tony and Joey for this special entry in this year’s GRAND-AM race at Indianapolis.”

Steve Lauletta, President, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams:

  • “After partnering with NTT DATA in May, we have continued a solid relationship with them across multiple racing platforms. Using our GRAND-AM program to partner them with two world-class drivers is another example of how we are able to add value to our partners across multiple series. Tony brings a wealth of experience to the car, and the addition of Joey to the lineup is sure to get the team off to a fast start as he’s been an integral part of the team as evidenced by his success with us in recent Rolex 24 At Daytonas. NTT DATA has been a great new partner and we look forward a long relationship with them.”

About NTT DATA
NTT DATA is your Innovation Partner anywhere around the world, with operations in more than 35 countries. NTT DATA emphasizes long-term commitment and combines global reach and local intimacy to provide premier professional services from consulting, application services, business process and IT outsourcing to cloud-based solutions. Visit www.nttdata.com/americas to learn how our consultants, projects, managed services, and outsourcing engagements deliver value for a range of businesses and government agencies.

About Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 15 championships and over 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com

Contacts

NTT DATA, Inc.
Tara Jantzen, +1-312-305-1771
or
Racepoint Group
Jenna Caswell, +1-617-624-3200
nttdata@racepointgroup.com

Release Summary

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates & NTT DATA announced today an addition to their partnership by fielding a second Daytona Prototype in GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series' Brickyard Grand Prix.

Contacts

NTT DATA, Inc.
Tara Jantzen, +1-312-305-1771
or
Racepoint Group
Jenna Caswell, +1-617-624-3200
nttdata@racepointgroup.com