Ganassi shuts down No 40 Franchitti team
Quote selected text Published July 1st, 2008 in NASCAR News
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) announced today that due to a lack of sponsorship funding it will cease operation of the team’s #40 Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Dodge driven by Dario Franchitti beginning this weekend in Daytona.
“This is a difficult decision for Felix and I that did not come without its share of anguish,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. “In this tough business environment continuing to run the car without proper funding has become increasingly difficult.”
CGRFS is committed to Franchitti’s continued stockcar development and are currently in discussions with him on his racing options with the team which could include running the balance of the 2008 Nationwide season in the #40 Fastenal Dodge. Currently the #42 Texaco/Havoline/Juicy Fruit Dodge of Juan Pablo Montoya is 21st in owner points while the #41 Target Dodge driven by Reed Sorenson is sitting 31st in the standings.
- Ganassi withdraws Franchitti and No 40 from All Star Race
- Sponsorship problems for Franchitti??
- Franchitti to NASCAR’s Ganassi team expected this week
- Franchitti and Hornish will not run Indy 500
- Franchitti to run Truck at Martinsville
My source just told me that Chip also laid off 70 employees and that many of those were not affiliated with the 40 team directly.
Sounds like Chip might be planning his exit strategy from NASCAR (which I had heard a few months ago).
LOL looks like the IRL is shaping up to have a few more drivers next year.
yeah that sounds right, Ganassi might not be here next season.
wow in 2002 this team (40) was running away with
the championship.
Now they are done
incredible
Hmm this car had a Sponsor for this race and everything.
R.I.P #40 team and good luck to Dario, hopefully he’ll get picked up by a team that can give him a better shot
it makes penske consuming ganassis 2 teams to make a total of 4 much more possible/likely doesnt it?
That’s because NASCAR is soooo easy anybody can do it. I predicted that JPM would not win as many NASCAR races as he did F1 races (7). Don’t get me wrong, NASCAR is not my favorite racing series, not even top five, but it is an entirely different beast. It takes a rare individual to come in and start winning stock car ovals. Most drivers come up through the ranks, and even if they do so quickly, like Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Most successful drivers from other disciplines have egos way to large to take the time to develop their skills prior to driving in Cup.
Somewhere I know Stremme is smiling. Dario deserves a better fate than this. Wait! I can’t feel sorry for him. He’s got that hot wife to console him! Actually, it’s a shame. You go from winning the Indy 500 to unemployed in a year. Welcome to Villeneuve’s world.
The fact is that Dario is not a big draw to nascar fans. Most fans just want to see his wife!
Kenneth - ARS Editor wrote:
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Good to hear from you kenneth!
Michale, Dario has publicly stated that he would have preferred to run way more Nationwide races and even some CTS races, but Chipper didn’t feel that way.
The problem isn’t these drivers coming in and “not wanting to put in the time”, it’s the owners trying to put big names in their cars in hopes that it’ll attract sponsorship.
Dario is done with NASCAR (well he may hang around for the rest of this year, on a part time basis), for next season (and maybe the end of this season he will be a driver for AGR’s ALMS team.
If he truly wants to make it in cup he should take the nationwide deal. He needs alot more stock car experience.
72 ppl from ganassi lost their jobs today..not all with the 40 team
George hit the nail on the head.
They should have run Franchitti the same path
they did with Scott Speed…
Andrew wrote:
I agree Andrew, Scott Speed has been the only one that is taken it slow and easy, But then again, Scott Speed doesn’t have Chip Ganassi as a boss. I swear, Ganassi has to be the biggest joke in the garage
Andrew wrote:
All of these open wheel guys should be on that path, but no owners are patient enough except Red Bull!
It’s just like my Falcons, who are probably going to start a rookie QB from day one (and have a dreadful year)… They’ve dumped so much money in these guys that if they run ARCA or Truck races, they’re not seeing much return on their investment. So they get pushed into Cup races well before they’re prepared for it and end up making asses out of themselves when they’re backmarkers with no sponsor halfway through the season.
I truly hope Scott Speed makes it in Cup racing. Nothing would make me happier than seeing people like Evernham and Ganassi get shown how to do it by Red Bull
Dario will do fine in the Nationwide. He is an excellent race car driver. As for his backing, this makes a team and when this is gone moral is gone.
Money is the name of this business, it’s not about racing really, it is all about Money.
Good luck to Dario. I will support him throughout his career in racing.
good….chip ganassi doesnt need to be in cup….or stock cars period for that matter….and Dario needs to return to open-wheel…hes just one of those guys who don’t belong in stock cars as well…JPM could actually do something if he had decent equipment and people around him….i hope the entire CGFSR stable in the cup series shuts down…they cause way too much drama and cautions on sundays anyways
The latest I’m hearing is JPM is on the short list for the 4th RCR car id Ganassi shuts it down.
If i was Dario, I would say screw racing and stay at home and pump my hot rich wife.