Off Target: What’s Wrong with Ganassi Racing?
Written by Douglas Brown · August 22, 2005
As both George and the ABC broadcast noted, the Target Chip Ganassi Racing season has been downright woeful: 0 poles, 0 wins, 17 DNFs. That’s a long way from the days of true dominance with Zanardi and Montoya. The Ganassi approach has always been to win and win a lot, and they’ve always tried to “develop new” drivers (remember when Jimmy Vasser was there?), but given the complete lack of success, it seems something more must be going on.
Scott Dixon was the 2003 Series Champ, but since then has disappeared from the scene. This year, he’s scored 6th place finishes at St. Petersburg and Nashville, but otherwise has failed to break the Top 10. Ryan Briscoe is their rookie driver that fared well in a few places (10th at Indy and Michigan) but otherwise has seen little but the back of the pack and a close up of many an outside wall
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5 Responses to “Off Target: What’s Wrong with Ganassi Racing?”
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I used to think Chip wasn’t the kind of guy to let this go on for long too…but it’s been miserable now for well over 1 year. I think the bad luck started when Tony Renna (who was supposed to run for TCGR in 2004 was killed during tire testing at Indy in Oct 2003. It seems to have gone steeply down hill from there.
Also, TCGR is spread WAY thin between IRL, NASCAR, and now the sports car team (which is the most successful right now it appears). Another point towards the “why won’t Chip do something about this” argument - Casey Mears. I like Mears if for no other reason than his relation to my all time fav IndyCar driver Rick Mears. I’ve wanted him to do well since he came on the scene a few years ago moving over from CART…but there have been NO RESULTS from him in the Cup series. The old Chip Ganassi would have canned Casey HALFWAY through his first season…yet he has signed Casey yet again.
Remember when Bruno Junqiera and Nick Manassian drover for chip? Nick was fired after just a few races, while Bruno stayed the season but went to Newman Haas the following (where he’s been ever since). Chip, until just recently, have NEVER been shy to pull the trigger…whether it’s in hiring some hot new unknown, or firing them when they don’t perform.
I don’t know what the deal is, but I think Chip needs to get some of his old fire back and maybe make a clean sweep of some of his personnel.
He needs a guy like Zanardi (not in the car, but over his shoulder) reminding him why the target should be in FRONT of the race…
I truly respect Chip and Target’s past - I regret it’s present - I fear its future.
Maybe its just one of those cycles top teams go through.Penske went through a period in the wilderness.I dont think you actually loose your edge, you just seem to lose your way.I know it’s his rookie year but I had higher expectations of Briscoe at a top team.
It kind of makes me want to draw comparisons to the Williams of yesterday and today.
Honestly, I thought he was going to tell Mears, if he wanted to continue racing, to jump to IRL as a way to shake up both floundering teams.