NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
SPEEDWEEKS
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 18, 2016
CHIP GANASSI AND ROB KAUFFMAN OF CHIP GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES met with media and discussed their new partnership. Partial Transcript:
ON HIS PARTNERS
CHIP GANASSI: “It’s a good opportunity for Chip Ganassi and Chip Ganassi Racing to have partners like Rob (Kauffman) and Felix (Sabates). From my point of view, Rob wanted to stay in the sport and this was a good opportunity for him to do that. We both have shared interest in lots of different kinds of cars and I think that’s probably what brought us together. And I think it’s obvious that Rob has skillsets I don’t have and maybe vice-versa. So, it seemed to work well.”
IS ROB KAUFFMAN A PARTNER IN THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION, OR JUST NASCAR?
CHIP GANASSI: “Right now, it’s NASCAR and Sports Car. We’re trying to get him interested in IndyCar racing.”
HOW DO YOU LIKE WORKING WITH CHIP GANASSI?
ROB KAUFFMAN: “It’s just really worked out well. I think at the end of the day, I’m a car guy who has been okay in business. The interesting thing about partnering with Chip is he’s a racer that’s created an actual racing business. He’s one of the few people who’s been successful in running racing as a business. If you look up the word racer in the dictionary, his picture is often there. And so for me, I think it’s a good combination. I’m not the guy to figure out arrangements for aerodynamics to make the cars faster, but hopefully together we can have even more success, especially on the Cup side.”
INAUDIBLE
ROB KAUFFMAN: “We’ve thought about it. It didn’t really work out for potentially bringing over the No. 15 or something like that, with Clint (Bowyer), but that didn’t really work out. The way that system works is you have to run the cars. We’re a two-car team. And we have two charters that we need. So that’s really all that made sense to that.
INAUDIBLE
ROB KAUFFMAN:
“Remember that only brings about 25 percent of the budget you need to really run a competitive car, so it’s that pesky 75 percent that costs you all the money if you don’t have a sponsor. And there’s of course the driver, the staff, and everything that goes along with it. So, the Charter stuff is really just a means to an end; not an end in itself. So, really the important thing is to have a solid racing business, which Chip has had for many years, and I’m proud to be a partner in that. And, hopefully I can bring some added resources and skills to the equation. But Chip has done a great job winning championships and races. His organization doesn’t need my help to do that, which is great; and I can hopefully be an investor and a participant and hopefully help with more success.”
ON THE NEW RULES PACKAGE AND WHAT HE EXPECTS TO SEE WHEN THE SERIES MOVES TO ATLANTA
CHIP GANASSI:
“Obviously, people often talk about the beginning of the season. This is the first race and the biggest race, but when we get to Atlanta, that’s when the meat of the season starts, you know; going to the mile, and 1.5-mile; Atlanta, Vegas, Fontana….that’s when the real season begins. And while the points are the same at all the races, we obviously look forward to that part of the season. Theoretically, the rules package should help guys like Kyle (Larson) and Jamie (McMurray), both. We’re looking forward to it. They seem to have adapted well at Darlington and at Kentucy last year. So, we’re kind of cautiously optimistic about that.”
SOME OF THE DRIVERS HAVE SAID THEY’VE HAD TO RENEGOTIATE THEIR CONTRACTS DUE TO THE NEW CHARTER SYSTEM. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?
ROB KAUFFMAN: “That’s really a non-issue. It’s a technicality.
CHIP GANASSI: “Fortunately our deals were structured in that; I think our drivers both know that we’re not out to take anything away from them. And if the pot gets bigger, we’re happy to give them part of their pot.”
ROB KAUFFMAN: “Yeah, it’s simple, really. The driver contracts are multi-year. The Charter system is new, so there’s just a quick transition period, but it’s not really a big deal at all. It’s making a mountain out of a molehill, I think. All the drivers, at the end of the day those folks have to be happy. They’re a pretty important part of the equation.”
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO UP THE ANTE IN THE XFINITY SERIES THIS YEAR?
CHIP GANASSI:
“We obviously want to give Kyle (Larson) a good shot at that thing. We thought we had a different deal than we ultimately ended up with, but we’re happy with where we’re at. And, we’re just slowly trying to build the company each and every day.
IS THE XFINITY SERIES OVERALL A PART OF THE MASTER PLAN FOR YOUR COMPANY?
CHIP GANASSI: “I think so, yeah. We’re already here. When you have the pit crews already and you have a crossover with the equipment and that seems to help. And it helps you develop people and helps you get a little closer to developing your driver and those kinds of things.”
WHAT’S THE NEXT THING YOU’RE WORKING ON?
ROB KAUFFMAN: “Well, there’s no shortage of things to do, I think, with the team itself. Chip and I, now that the little franchise project is done, and now working, Chip and I cannot focus a little bit more and try to work on developing the team and just get to know everybody and how I can contribute, really. With the RTA we have a number of projects underway just to kind of follow on. It fairly resembles a job now.”
WILL THERE BE ANY IMPACT ON THE WOOD BROTHERS WITHDRAWING FROM THE RTA?
ROB KAUFFMAN: “No, not at all. It’s totally on good terms that make sense. The RTA is really about full-time teams and really it’ll probably be Charter Teams only going forward. But they’re great guys. When we talked to them the other day they gave me one of their metals when I was here and I would bet they will have a Charter sooner rather than later and rejoin and be part of it because then you have a say in what’s going on and a more formal role as opposed to not being on the outside looking in.”
YOU HAVE A CAST OF CHARACTERS IN YOUR COMPANY
CHIP GANASSI: “We have some character in our cast, I will say that. I don’t know that I’d define it as a ‘cast of characters’. I’m a lucky guy to have these guys as partners, I can tell you that.”