| | Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- Chip Ganassi, whose CART team has won an unprecedented four straight championships, entered Winston Cup racing Friday after acquiring the majority interest in Team Sabco.
Ganassi also said he will switch the team from Chevrolets to Dodges in 2001.
"If you have any competitive spirit, you can't ignore NASCAR
Winston Cup racing," Ganassi said at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. "It's impressive to see the level of competition, the
close racing and the way NASCAR touches the fans every day."
The deal with Team Sabco founder Felix Sabates had been rumored for several months. Sabates will remain involved in the team's business operations.
Chip Ganassi Racing will join a new team created by Ray
Evernham, as well as the established Petty Enterprises, Bill Davis
Racing and Melling Racing in running the new Intrepid in Dodge's
return to Winston Cup racing after a 16-year absence from the stock
car series.
Evernham, crew chief for Jeff Gordon until the middle of last season, is heading the Dodge development program, with all the other new teams sharing the work on the new car and engine.
"The approach Dodge is taking to NASCAR is unique," Ganassi
said. "It will help us become competitive much quicker. I'm
delighted to be part of the effort and I'm confident that I can add
something."
Ganassi's stock car effort will be headed by Andy Graves, a veteran NASCAR crew chief, who will work closely with current team manager Tony Glover.
Graves, hired by Ganassi last winter, headed the winning effort by Juan Montoya in the 2000 Indianapolis 500.
The current drivers for Ganassi are two-time Daytona 500 winner
Sterling Marlin and Ted Musgrave, who came to the team after Kenny
Irwin Jr. was killed in a crash on July 7 at Loudon, N.H. Neither
driver is signed for 2001.
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