CGRFS NASCAR Team History

• Owner Championship points finish: No. 42 Cup entry- 21st; No. 41 Cup entry - 23rd; No. 40 Cup entry - 26th; No. 41 Busch entry - 18th , No. 42 Busch entry- 25th
• Driver Championship points finish: Juan Pablo Montoya - 20th; Reed Sorenson- 22nd; David Stremme- 24th
• November: Montoya captured 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year title, becoming the second driver for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) to do so.
• November: The Fastenal Company, a leading global industrial and construction supply distributor, signed a multi-year agreement with the team to sponsor driver Dario Franchitti and the No.40 Dodge Charger in the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS).
• November: The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (NYSE: WWY), the world’s number one maker of chewing gum and its iconic Wrigley’s Brands– Big Red®, Juicy Fruit®, Winterfresh®, Doublemint® and Spearmint® – joined with 21-year NASCAR sponsor Texaco/Havoline as co-primary sponsors of Montoya’s No. 42 Dodge Charger for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS).
• October: Franchitti made his stock car debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
• October: CGRFS announced it signed reigning Indy Car Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti to drive the No. 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup car in 2008.
• September: Development driver Bryan Clauson makes his debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Richmond International Raceway. Clauson qualified for the race 25th and finished the short-track race in 36th.
• July: Sorenson captured his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with teammate Montoya on the outside pole. Sorenson finished the race in the fifth position, while Montoya finished second.
• July: Sorenson took the checkered flag at Gateway International in the NASCAR Busch Series race. Sorenson led 52 laps to capture his second Nationwide Series victory at the St. Louis track. He won the 2005 event for CGRFS in his rookie year in the series.
• June: Montoya drove the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge to a 4.097-second victory over Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Sprint Cup road course race at Infineon Raceway. It was Montoya’s first Sprint Cup victory in just his 17th start. He became only the third foreign-born driver to win in NASCAR’s premier division.
• March: Montoya won his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race in just his seventh start on the road course in Mexico City. He overcame a fuel issue that dropped him back to 19th with 25 laps to go to win the Telcel-Motorola 200.

• Owner Championship points finish: No. 42 Cup entry - 14th; No. 41 Cup entry -23rd; No. 40 Cup entry - 32nd; No. 41 Nationwide entry- 11th
• Driver Championship points finish: Casey Mears - 14th; Sorenson - 24th; Stremme - 33rd; Sorenson (Nationwide) - 10th
• November: Montoya made his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the No. 30 Texaco/Havoline Dodge.
• November: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company andCGRFS announced at Phoenix International Raceway that Stremme and Sorenson would share driving responsibilities in the 
  No. 41 Dodge in the first 25 Nationwide Series races in 2007 and Montoya would get behind the wheel of the No. 42 Big Red Dodge in three NASCAR Sprint Cup races during the 2007 season.
• November: TUMS announced its partnership as an associate sponsor for CGRFS in 2007. TUMS was featured on the deck lid of the No. 41 Dodge and have a primary paint scheme on the car in April 2007 at Texas Motor Speedway. TUMS would also be featured on the No. 40 Dodge at Chicagoland in July.
• October: Montoya made his NASCAR Busch Series debut at Memphis Motorsports Park in the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge.
• October: Montoya made his ARCA RE/MAX Series debut and stock car debut at Talladega Superspeedway in the No. 4 Texaco/Havoline Dodge (finished third).
• July: Mears won first career NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on July 8. This is CGRFS’ fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory in three seasons.
• July: Texaco/Havoline and CGRFS announced at Chicagoland Speedway that Montoya would assume driving responsibilities of the No. 42 Dodge in 2007. Montoya became the first Formula One regular to ever join the Sprint Cup ranks.
• June: Stremme made his ARCA debut at Pocono Raceway in the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge.
• February: Mears finished second at the season opening Daytona 500, earning his career-best finish in the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge.

• Owner Championship points finish: No. 42 entry - 12th; No. 41 entry - 22nd; No. 40 entry - 26th ;No. 41 Nationwide Entry- 4th
• Driver Championship points finish: Jamie McMurray 12th; Mears 22nd; Sterling Marlin 30th ; Sorenson (nationwide)- 4th
• November: CGRFS announced its driver lineup for 2006, which Sorenson would run the full Nationwide Series season in the No. 41 Discount Tire Dodge and the full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the No. 41 Target Dodge. Additionally, Mears would assume the seat in the No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge and Stremme would drive the No. 40 Dodge sponsored by Coors Light and Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon.
• October: Discount Tire Company and CGRFS announced that Sorenson would make his Cup Series debut in the No. 39 Discount Tire Dodge at Atlanta Motor Speedway and would also attempt to make the field at Texas Motor Speedway the following week.
• August: Sorenson took home his second pole of the season at Indianapolis Raceway Park on August 6, 2005.
• July: On July 30, Sorenson won his second race of the season at Gateway International Raceway. He took the lead on lap 168 and led the final 22 laps before taking the checkered flag.
• July: McMurray won his second career pole at Pocono Raceway on July 24.
• July: Stremme made his Sprint Cup debut in the No. 39 Dodge at Chicagoland Speedway. The Navy sponsored the car for this race and his second Cup race at Richmond. He also drove the No. 39 sponsored by Commit at Charlotte and Homestead.
• June: Coors Brewing Company, Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon and CGRFS announced at Michigan International Speedway that Stremme would assume driving responsibilities of the No. 40 Dodge in 2006. The sponsorship would be split 17 races apiece between Coors Light and Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon.
• March: Sorenson won his first career race and pole in the same weekend at Nashville Superspeedway on March 26. In his sixth start of the season he led 197 of 225 laps, left only seven other cars on the lead lap and won by over 14 seconds.

• Owner Championship points finish: No. 42 Cup entry - 11th; No. 40 Cup entry - 20th; No. 41 Cup entry - 23rd
• Driver Championship points finish: McMurray 11th; Marlin 21st; Mears 22nd.
• November: McMurray won the Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. This was CGRFS’ first Nationwide Series win and McMurray’s sixth.
• August: Mears won second NASCAR Sprint EXTEL Cup pole of the season for the Brickyard 400 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mears broke the track record with an average speed of 186.293 mph. Mears became the first driver since 1964 to post his first two career NASCAR Sprint Cup poles in consecutive races. He was also just the fourth repeat pole winner in 2004.
• July: Mears recorded first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. This was CGRFS’ first pole of the season and Mears first pole in 56 starts in the Sprint Cup Series.
• June: CGRFS announced that they partnered with Discount Tire Company to run the No. 41 Nationwide Series car for eight races in the 2004 season with drivers Sorenson, McMurray and Mears.
• May: Marlin won the NEXTEL Open and earned one of two spots into the Sprint All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

• Owner Championship points finish: No. 42 entry - 13th; No. 40 entry - 18th; No. 41 entry - 36th
• Driver Championship points finish: McMurray- 13th; Marlin - 18th; Mears- 35th
• November: McMurray won first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in the Ford 400 during the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This was CGRFS’ first pole of the season and the first one for a rookie in 2003. McMurray also won Raybestos Rookie of the Year for 2003.
• October: Marlin made his 600th career start at Martinsville Speedway.
• July: Mears captured back to back ARCA wins at Pocono Raceway. He also won his first Nationwide Series pole award at Chicago Speedway.

• Owner Championship points finish: No. 40 entry- 8th; No. 41 entry- 27th
• Driver Championship points finish: Marlin- 18th; Jimmy Spencer- 27th
• In McMurray’s six Winston Cup starts, he scored one victory, one top-five, two top-10 and three top-15 finishes.
• October: McMurray won first ever NASCAR race in the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. McMurray set a new modern era NASCAR record by becoming the quickest driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. McMurray won in only his second Sprint Cup start.
• October: Marlin remained first in championship points for 25 consecutive weeks (Rockingham to Richmond) before his season was cut short due to a fractured C2 vertebra. McMurray replaced Marlin in the No. 40 Dodge for the remainder of the season.
• March: Marlin won the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway. Ganassi’s fourth career owners win.
• March: Marlin won UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Marlin’s first win of the season and Ganassi’s third owner win.

• Owner Championship points finish: No. 40 entry- third; No. 01 entry- 38th
• Driver Championship points finish: Marlin- third; Jason Leffler - 37th
• Marlin finished third in NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings, rebounding from a 19th-place finish in 2000. He was the only driver to remain in the top-10 in driver points for the entire season.
• November: The team announced the addition of veteran NASCAR driver Spencer to pair with new corporate sponsor, Target Stores. Target has been associated with Chip Ganassi’s CART teams since 1990.
• October: Marlin scored second season win in UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
• September: Rookie-driver, Leffler claimed the pole position for the inaugural race at Kansas Speedway.
• August: Marlin gave owner Ganassi his first NASCAR win in the Pepsi 400 at Michigan International Speedway.CGRFS gave Dodge their first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory since 1977. Ganassi joined Roger Penske as the only team owners to do the CART/NASCAR double on the same race weekend when Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Bruno Junqueria captured CART’s Motorola 220 at Road America on the same day Marlin won in Michigan.
• July: Marlin captured Ganassi’s first NASCAR pole position for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
• February: Marlin won the first Gatorade 125 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway, earning the third starting position in the Daytona 500.

• Hired engine builder Ernie Elliott for the 2001 season.
• Announced alignment with Dodge Motorsports for the 2001 season.
• Chip Ganassi purchased majority ownership from Felix Sabates and changed team name to Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.