Team Target Set To Run 1,100 Miles On Sunday

Team Target is scheduled to compete for 1,100 miles of racing this Memorial Day weekend, first running the famed Indianapolis 500 with Indy Racing League points leaders Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon on Sunday afternoon, followed by the Charlotte 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) with sophomore Reed Sorenson on Sunday evening. This year marks the sixth-consecutive year Target has run the 1,100 miles as the primary sponsor in both the IndyCar and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR).

Dixon, a former series champion (2003) qualified on the inside of row two (fourth), while his teammate Wheldon, the ’05 Series and Indy 500 Champion, qualified on the outside of row two (sixth). Sorenson, driver of the No. 41 Target Dodge is set to qualify with the rest of his NEXTEL Cup counterparts on Thursday, May 24.

“This is always one of the best days of the year for me," said Team Owner Chip Ganassi. “This weekend is what auto racing is all about and it is even better that we are able to share the whole scope of it with a tremendous partner like Target. We have had a relationship with them for over 18 years and couldn’t be more proud of that fact."

“The weekend of the Indianapolis 500 and the Charlotte 600 is always an exciting time for everyone at Target," said Target Vice President/General Merchandising Manager, Steve Eastman. “We have been partners with Ganassi for a long time and there is nothing we would love more than to see Target and our vendor partners in Victory Lane on Sunday. I would also like to wish Reed, Dan and Scott nothing but the best this weekend. We are all pulling for them."

Team Target had one top-five and two top-10 finishes in last year’s 1,100 miles of racing with Wheldon finishing fourth and Dixon sixth in the 500, and Sorenson finishing 10th in the 600-mile event. Altogether, Wheldon and Dixon have eight starts in the 500 with one win, one pole, three top-five finishes and five top 10s. Sorenson’s start in last year’s 600-mile race at LMS was his first and only, however, he does have a fifth-place finish in NASCAR Busch Series competition (2005) as well.

With Team Target drivers Wheldon and Dixon among several favorites in Indianapolis and Sorenson’s knack for getting around the 1.5-mile LMS, nothing would be better than to add some new hardware to their trophy cabinet on Monday morning. It is well worth every one of the near 1,100 miles team-owner Chip Ganassi himself will travel (Pittsburgh to Indianapolis to Charlotte) to support both efforts.

The 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 is set to start at 1 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC and IMS radio (noon). The Charlotte 600 will go green at 5:30 p.m. ET and air live on FOX and PRN radio (5 p.m.)