In the 17 years since Chip Ganassi formed his first race team, his passion for the sport has never wavered - not during the lean years of open wheel, his struggles after expanding to NASCAR, or even the death of a driver.

Weekends like this last one make it all worth it.

Ganassi drivers won two major races, as Reed Sorenson ended a 61-race winless streak with a Busch Series victory Saturday night in St. Louis and Scott Dixon scored his third consecutive IndyCar Series victory on Sunday at Mid-Ohio.

One week earlier, Dixon won the Indy race while Ganassi’s sports car teams went 1-2 in Iowa, as he became the all-time winningest owner in the Grand-Am Series.

Ganassi avoided trumpeting his success on Monday as he headed to a golf tournament in his hometown of Pittsburgh. But the sometimes-cantankerous car owner was certainly in high spirits after Victory Lane celebrations on consecutive days and consecutive weekends.

“My passion for racing is probably greater now than when I first started,” he said. “It’s just because over time, the wins get to be more rewarding. And we’ve certainly had wins that have been more meaningful, but to win in two different series on the same weekend is something we won’t soon forget.”

Truth is, many predicted Ganassi would have celebrated plenty of double-win weekends since entering NASCAR in 2001.

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