Backstretch Motorsports

Edinburgh’s own Dario Franchitti raced the race he needed to. A race of strategy that paid off with the 2009 IndyCar Series Champioship.

Franchitti claimed his second IndyCar Series championship by winning the Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. [read more...]

LEXINGTON, Ohio (Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009) - Scott Dixon used a dominating performance to win the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance and earned his record 20th IndyCar Series victory.

Dixon, competing in his 109th IndyCar Series race (all with Chip Ganassi’s team), overtook Sam Hornish Jr. for the series record. Dixon also tied teammate Dario Franchitti for 19th on the all-time career list (sanctioning by AAA, USAC, CART, Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League) with 21 (he picked up one victory at Nazareth in CART). A.J. Foyt is the all-time Indy car victory leader with 67. [read more...]

NEWTON, IOWA - Dario Franchitti is two-for-two at Iowa Speedway. The 2007 winner at the track found his way back to victory lane Sunday, winning the Iowa Corn Indy 250 by 5.0132 seconds over Ryan Briscoe.

Franchitti gave the credit to his Target Chip Ganassi Racing crew, which turned in a quick pit stop on Lap 196 of 250 as the leaders cycled through green flag stops.
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Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti added more fuel the TCGR/Penske 2009 IRL feud by winning the PEAK Performance Pole Award for tonight’s running of the Bombardier Learjet 550k under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway, in the process, securing another 2 all-important championship points.

Franchitti , the 13th qualifier on the 1.5-mile, high-banked oval, wrestled the provisional pole from Penske’s Ryan Briscoe with a four-lap average of 214.513 mph (1 minute, 37.6725 seconds) in the No. 10 Energizer car.
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WEST ALLIS, WIS. — It’s a simple formula, really. When Target Chip Ganassi teams want a win, they leave it to Scott Dixon to provide.

The back and forth battle between the TCGR teams and the teams of Roger Penske for the 2009 IndyCar Series is the stuff of legend in the making.

Reigning IndyCar Series champion Dixon became the first driver to win for the second time in 2009, taking the checkered flag in the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 at The Milwaukee Mile ahead of 2008 race winner Ryan Briscoe. [read more...]

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Sunday, April 26, 2009) - Reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon earned his first victory of the 2009 season, taking the checkered flag in the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway .7104 of a second ahead of Helio Castroneves.

The win was the third in a row at the track by a Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver. [read more...]

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sunday, April 19, 2009) - Dario Franchitti drove a strong race and benefitted from two well-timed pit stops to win the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The victory was the ninth of Franchitti’s career and the 25th for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Franchitti started second but lost two spots in the first turn of the 85-lap race. He moved back up to second on Lap 15 before pitting on Lap 16. The stop for tires and fuel proved to be fortuitous as contact by Mike Conway brought out a full-course caution two laps later. As the rest of the field cycled through pit stops, Franchitti took the lead on Lap 32. [read more...]

Can Dixon repeat?: Three months from the start of the IndyCar Series season and reigning champion Scott Dixon is being pressed for a prediction. Can he make it two in a row against another formidable field on the most diverse set of racetracks in motorsports?

Dixon takes the middle of the road - attempting not to appear arrogant while not devaluing confidence in his abilities or those of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing crew.

“Winning is tough, but to defend is harder,” said Dixon, who though he won a series record-tying six races in 2008 claimed his second IndyCar Series championship by a scant 17 points over Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves. “Last time we tried it, it didn’t work out too well. But next year I think the team looks very strong, the development has been good in the off-season, already the car is super fast and I have a new teammate (Dario Franchitti) joining me.”

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Concord, NC) — Puzzles solved, two seats filled and one left out for now, with an almost assured announcement to come.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) and Dan Wheldon, driver of the No. 10 Target Honda Dallara in the IndyCar Series, announced today they have agreed to part ways. Dan Wheldon will be returning to Panther Racing’s No. 4 Honda entry

Target Chip Ganassi Racing announced they will be adding former IndyCar Series and Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti as a teammate of the 2008 Indy 500 winner and current points leader Scott Dixon, as the driver of the No. 10 Target Honda. In addition, Chip Ganassi Racing and Target announced the details of their joint plans to take their partnership into its 20th season and beyond.

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Two-man race

With the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone looming as the penultimate race in the 2008 IndyCar Series championship, two competitors remain eligible for the title. Scott Dixon saw a 78-point lead over Helio Castroneves dwindle to 43 at Infineon. How will the battle play out on the tight street course at Belle Isle?

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