After racing in several CART events during the 1980s, Chip Ganassi became co-owner of Emerson Fittipaldi's Marlboro team in 1989. That year, the team won both the Indy 500 and the championship with Fittipaldi, after which Fittipaldi and Marlboro moved to Penske, leaving Ganassi in charge of the remnants. Starting in 1990, with Eddie Cheever in the car, the new Chip Ganassi Racing competed with Target sponsorship.
Success with Luyendyk, Vasser, and Zanardi
In 1992 and 1993, Arie Luyendyk served as the team's full-time driver, securing a pole position for the Indy 500 and finishing second in the famous race. After the split between CART and IRL in the mid-1990s, the team enjoyed significant success in the former series with Jimmy Vasser (1996) and Alex Zanardi (1997 and 1998), who together secured three championships. In 1999, the team had another strong season, with Juan Pablo Montoya winning a fourth consecutive championship for the team in his debut season.
Transition to IRL and Immediate Success
In 2000, Ganassi became one of the first CART teams to attempt the Indy 500, the premier race of the rival IRL. This venture was a major success, as Montoya, after qualifying second, went on to win the race. Following a dispute with the CART organization, Ganassi fully transitioned to the Indy Racing League in 2003, where it immediately found success with Scott Dixon winning the championship. In the following two years, with multiple drivers alongside Dixon, the team struggled to find success.
Revival with Dixon and Franchitti
With the addition of Dan Wheldon in 2006, the team once again boasted a strong lineup. In 2007, Dixon and Wheldon combined for six wins, and in 2008, the team secured another championship with the New Zealander, winning seven races, including the Indianapolis 500. Starting in 2009, the team won three consecutive IndyCar championships with Dario Franchitti, including another Indianapolis 500 victory in 2010, this time with the Scotsman. Franchitti claimed his final IndyCar title in 2011, and in 2012, he won just one race, but it was the Indianapolis 500. Scott Dixon added the third and fourth IndyCar titles of his career in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
Further Expansion and New Successes
In 2016, former Formula 1 driver Max Chilton made his debut with Chip Ganassi Racing, finishing seventh in his second race, which was also his first oval race. Starting in 2018, the team reduced its entries to two cars, which immediately paid off when Scott Dixon claimed his fifth IndyCar title that season. The New Zealander added a sixth NTT IndyCar Series title in 2020.
Expansion to Four Cars in 2022
In 2022, the successful team fielded four full-time cars on the grid. Just like in 2021, Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon, and Álex Palou returned to Chip Ganassi Racing in the cars numbered 8, 9, and 10. After winning his first NTT IndyCar Series title in 2021, Palou decided to keep his original car number in 2022 instead of switching to number 1.
In addition to these three drivers, Jimmie Johnson also returned to the Ganassi team. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion had only raced on road and street courses in 2021, but in 2022, he also competed in all oval races. This marked Johnson's first full NTT IndyCar Series season in a car featuring his familiar number 48.
For the Indianapolis 500, Chip Ganassi Racing fielded a fifth car for Tony Kanaan. The Brazilian had participated in all oval races for the team in 2021, but due to Johnson’s move to a full-time role in 2022, Kanaan had to settle for a seat solely in the 500-mile race.
Changes and New Drivers in 2023
Jimmie Johnson returned to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023 for a part-time role with Legacy Motor Club, a team in which he is also a co-owner. His departure from IndyCar was filled by Marcus Armstrong and Takuma Sato. Armstrong competed only on road and street courses in the car numbered 11, while Sato was confirmed to drive at Texas Motor Speedway and the 107th Indianapolis 500.
With a lineup featuring reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon, Álex Palou, Marcus Armstrong, and Takuma Sato, Chip Ganassi Racing was well represented on the grid. The season turned out to be very successful, with the team winning nine of the 17 races and securing a 1-2 finish in the championship with Palou and Dixon.
Major Changes in 2024
Despite the strong season, significant changes followed in 2024. Ericsson left the team and was replaced by rookie Linus Lundqvist. Armstrong secured a full-time seat, and the team even expanded to a fifth car for rookie Kyffin Simpson. Once again, it was a successful season, with Palou and Dixon often found at the front of the field, and Palou claiming his third IndyCar championship.
Back to Three Cars Starting in 2025
After the historic expansion to five cars in 2024, Chip Ganassi Racing was forced to downsize to just three cars the following year. This change was due to the IndyCar Series' charter system, which sets a maximum of three cars per team. Ganassi didn’t want to risk any of the team’s cars failing to qualify for races, so the team decided to scale back to three cars. In 2025, these cars will be driven by Kyffin Simpson and Ganassi mainstays Alex Palou and Scott Dixon.
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