Kanaan continues with Ganassi under NTT data partnership

NOTES OF INTEREST:

• NTT DATA and Ganassi: NTT DATA began its relationship with the team in 2013 at the Indianapolis 500 partnering on the No. 8 NTT DATA Indy car. Following the Indianapolis 500, NTT DATA maintained an associate partnership with Ganassi on the No. 83 Indy car of Charlie Kimball. In addition, they fielded a second Prototype at the IMSA Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) with Kanaan at the helm of the No. 02 NTT DATA Prototype. NTT DATA became a primary sponsor on the No. 8 entry driven by Ryan Briscoe for the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season and then for the No. 10 entry driven by Kanaan for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season. NTT DATA is the official IT services partner to CGRT.

• All About TK: Tony Kanaan, a 17-time race winner joined CGRT for his first season with the team in 2014 in the No. 10 Chevrolet alongside four-time Series Champion and Indianapolis 500 Winner Scott Dixon. In 2014, Kanaan got his first win with CGRT at the season finale at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana and has earned nine podium-finishes over his two-year career with CGRT. 2016 will mark Kanaan’s 19th Indy car racing season and he is the all-time Indy car leader in consecutive starts with 249 consecutive dating back to the Portland race in 2001. In 2004, he became the first driver to complete every possible lap in a season in route to winning the championship. Kanaan added his first-ever Rolex 24 At Daytona win in the WeatherTech United SportsCar Championship to his career resume in 2015 alongside Dixon, and his NASCAR teammates Kyle Larson, and Jamie McMurray. The Brazilian has 310 Indy car starts, producing 17 wins, 15 poles, 124 top-five and 197 top-10 finishes (1998-Present).

• The No. 10 Indy car: The No. 10 Indy car has become one of the most soughtafter seats in all of motor racing in recent years. Wheldon had six wins, three poles and 17 podiums from 2006-2008 when he took the reins of the car as the defending Verizon IndyCar Series Champion and reigning Indianapolis 500 Winner. Franchitti added to the car’s lore when he scored a team-record, three-straight Verizon IndyCar Series Championships from 2009-2011, in addition to two Indianapolis 500 wins (2010 and 2012), 13 overall wins, 16 poles and 36 podiums in just five seasons in the seat. The No. 10 made its debut with Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 1993 with Arie Luyendyk behind the wheel and then with NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing in 2015 with Tony Kanaan.

CGR QUOTEBOARD:

John McCain, CEO, NTT DATA, Inc.: “Our clients and employees love cheering for the No. 10 Indy car. We’re excited to extend our partnership with Chip, TK and the team and look forward to continuing to carry the strong momentum from 2015 into next season.”

Steve Lauletta, President, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams: “NTT DATA has been an integral piece of our partnership group the last several years across a number of the touring series we compete in. In addition, their continued support both on and off of the track in terms of our technical expertise allows us to operate at a very high level on race weekends and in our offices during the week.”

Tony Kanaan, Driver, NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing: “It feels really great to be back with NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season. 2015 was kind of a roller coaster of a season with some really solid results and some not so great results, but our top-five finish and Dixon’s Championship in Sonoma was a really positive way to go into the offseason for the whole team. I’ve worked with some great people at NTT DATA over the past few years and I’ve been able to use their strengths and assets to better myself as a driver, and being able to do that has just made our partnership that much stronger. I feel very good about the 2016 season and I want nothing more than to get NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing their first of many wins.”