Chip Ganassi Named Honorary Chairman Of Motorsports Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

DETROIT, Mich. – Chip Ganassi, who is leading his racing teams through one of the most successful motorsports seasons in the history of the sport this year, has agreed to serve as the Honorary Chairman of the 22nd Annual Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Induction Ceremony, Wednesday, August 25, in downtown Detroit.

Detroit, July 20, 2010: Ganassi’s most recent triumph came just this past weekend in the Brickyard 400 where Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jamie McMurray gave his team owner a sweep of both major auto races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) this year. The victory made Ganassi the first owner to capture in a single season what is widely now considered auto racing’s modern-day triple-crown – the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. McMurray also gave Ganassi his first Daytona 500 victory in February while Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 in May, Target Chip Ganassi Racing's third victory in the Memorial Day Weekend classic.

As Honorary Chairman, Ganassi will preside over the formal black-tie induction ceremony at the Fillmore Theater in the heart of downtown Detroit on the evening of Wednesday, August 25. This year’s list of motorsports legends and pioneers that will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America includes NHRA mechanical genius Dale Armstrong, Sprint Car Champion, Indy driver and stunt driver Joie Chitwood, NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki, AMA Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath, the dean of racing broadcasters Ken Squier, Trans-Am Champion Jerry Titus and USAC Sprint and Midget Champion Rich Vogler.

The Hall of Fame's recently formed alliance with the Detroit Science Center will bring renewed focus to the technological innovations that are vital to success in motor racing. A highlight of the Induction Ceremony will be Ganassi’s Chairman’s Address that will touch on motorsports being at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, how he has seen that role evolve and grow, and what could be in store in the future, based on Ganassi’s more than 30 years of involvement in the motorsports industry.

“We are proud to have Chip Ganassi join us as the Honorary Chairman for the 2010 Motorsports Hall of Fame of American Induction Ceremony,” said Ron Watson, President of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. “The timing obviously couldn’t have been better this year as Chip and his talented racing teams in all facets of the sport are once again making history that will no doubt be celebrated and commemorated in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in the years to come. At the same time, Chip’s vast experience and vision for the future of motorsports will also be of strong interest as we conduct our first Induction Ceremony since our new relationship with the Detroit Science Center.”

Ganassi debuted as an Indy Car driver in 1981 but made the transition to team ownership by the end of the decade after his career behind the wheel was cut short after an accident at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). He entered into the ownership ranks with a stake in Patrick Racing in 1988 and made his first visit to victory lane as a team co-owner at IMS the following year when Emerson Fittipaldi won the 1989 Indianapolis 500, in addition to capturing the season championship. Two years later, Ganassi formed his own racing team Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, which remains one of the most successful and continuously operated team and sponsor partnerships in motorsports history. Target Ganassi teams have won Champ Car/Indy Car titles in 1996, ‘97, ’98, ’99, 2003, ‘08 and ’09 with an illustrious list of future Hall of Famers that includes Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon and Franchitti. Montoya, who now drives for Target at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in NASCAR, won the 2000 Indy 500 and Dixon captured the Borg Warner trophy in ’08 prior to Franchitti’s victory in May. TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is also the most dominant entity in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series where all-time Daytona Prototype race winner Scott Pruett is leading the Ganassi-owned team to a record third drivers championship in 2010, and fourth overall for the team.

Tickets for the induction ceremony can be purchased by calling 248-349-RACE (7223) or by visiting www.mshf.com.