10/2010
GANASSI’S HISTORIC TRIO
Few races in motorsports have the esteem of NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400, and Indy Racing League’s Indianapolis 500. An owner winning all three of these races was unheard of until 2010. In February, McMurray, driving for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, won the Daytona 500. On July 25, 2010, he drove the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Impala to victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400, making him only the third driver to win both events in the same season. Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 in one of Ganassi’s cars, making Ganassi the first team owner to win all three legendary auto races in the same season.
After winning the Brickyard 400, McMurray celebrated with a smoky, tire-spinning burnout. The celebration was so enthusiastic that McMurray’s right-rear tire exploded, damaging the right-rear quarter panel. McMurray took the lead with 11 laps to go and won the race by 1.4 seconds. The win gave Ganassi owner victories in America’s three most prestigious automobile races: the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Indianapolis 500—an unprecedented accomplishment
