Chip Ganassi stormed onto the national racing scene at the 1982 Indianapolis 500, where he became the fastest rookie qualifier and finished 15th. Following a successful career as a driver, highlighted by an eighth-place finish in the 1983 Indianapolis 500, Ganassi set his sights on ownership in 1988.
Ganassi created his own Indy car team in 1990 and established a
partnership with Target that endures to this day.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Jimmy Vasser captured the CART championship in 1996. Alex Zanardi followed Vasser's lead and earned CART titles in 1997 and 1998. With rookie driver Juan Montoya's championship in 1999, Ganassi became the first owner to earn four consecutive CART championships.
Montoya won the 2000 Indianapolis 500 for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, which was making its first appearance at the Brickyard since 1995. In 2002, Bruno Junqueira earned the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 and led 32 laps before engine problems ended his day.
The team joined the IndyCar Series full time in 2002 with driver Jeff Ward. It's gone on to win the series championship in 2003, 2008 and 2013 with Scott Dixon and 2007, 2009 and 2010 with Dario Franchitti. Franchitti (2010, 2012) and Dixon (2008) also have added to the team's Indianapolis 500 victory total.
Target celebrates its 25th season in open wheel racing with Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2014. Since the formation of this dominant force in motorsports, the Target IndyCar team has amassed 10 championship titles and 86 wins, including three Indianapolis 500 victories. The duo of Scott Dixon (Three-time IndyCar Series Champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner) and Tony Kanaan (former IndyCar Series Champion and reigning Indianapolis Winner) represented Team Target on the track for the first time as teammates in 2014.
