A New Ganassi

Has Chip Ganassi Racing ever been a power house team within NASCAR? The Organization has won multiple IndyCar and Sports Car championships. The organization has won multiple IndyCar and Sports Car races and championships; yet the NASCAR side of his operation has only won a handful of races – big races mind you, the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Sprint All-Star race, but still a limited number. What is lacking is a Sprint Cup Series championship trophy in Chip Ganassi Racing's resume to go along with the wins.

With the introduction of Kyle Larson, following the release of Juan Pablo Montoya, there has been a remarkable change in Ganassi's chances of securing a Sprint Cup title. It might now happen this year, or even next year, however Chip Ganassi Racing appears to have what it takes to be a serious challenger for the title by 2016.

            Chip Ganassi made a bold statement by tapping the young Kyle Larson to take over command of the 42 car. While many doubted his decision, my personal opinion is, it is the smartest move Ganassi could have ever made. The struggling team has needed youth and talent, to spread over the group. The change was immediate as Ganassi revamped the Target team, and added life back to the car with the flashy white wheels and blended paint scheme, but this won’t change everything. The unleashed talent will.

            When Chip announced Dylan Kwasniewski as there new development driver he was making another powerful statement. The statement simple yet strong, a new Ganassi is coming and everyone needs to be ready. There is no doubt in my mind Kwasniewski will be the next drive of the 1 car, and when this happens Ganassi will be at the forefront of youth and talent. Kwasniewski still has a lot to learn as his rookie season in the Nationwide Series hasn’t exactly gone to plan by the way of finishes and team. Kwasniewski has a unique opportunity driving both the 31 for Turner Scott Motorsports as well as the 42 TSM Chevy when Larson cannot make races. To me this is an advantage for the young rookie and it will pay off when he takes the next step.

            Chip Ganassi Racing is slowly becoming the most youthful and talented team in NASCAR. When the time comes for Larson and Kwasinewski to take to the cup series as teammates, the raw talent and skill will flourish. It may not be an instant change, but none the less watch out. 

-Stephen Appell

Kwasniewski’s Rough Start

Dylan Kwasniewski entered the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Season as one of the highest regarded rookies. Kwasniewski, who made the move into the Nationwide Series after becoming the first driver to win NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and East Championship’s back to back, made a strong statement at Daytona by qualifying on pole and respectfully finishing eighth. But that’s where it stopped; Daytona has been his only top ten to date.

Kwasniewski stated at the beginning of the season he was not expecting to win races right away, but this probably wasn’t the young rookie's plan either. Despite strong qualifying efforts, he has just a handful of respectable finishes within the top twenty, and his three poor finishes resulted in wrecks and on-track conflicts. But Kwasniewski’s rookie season is far from ordinary; shortly after the start of the season he was tapped by Chip Ganassi Racing as their next development driver. Despite being the primary driver of the number 31 Rockstar Energy Chevy for Turner Scott Motorsport, he is also the secondary driver of the 42 TSM Chevy when Kyle Larson is not present for Nationwide events. As a rookie, he has bounced between two cars with two different crew chiefs. Though he is racing for the same team, each car's crew chief is different. This situation is a hard obstacle for a rookie to overcome. Kwasniewski made his debut in the 42 this past Sunday at Iowa and all he wanted was a good clean finish, which is what he got. Kwasniewski finished eleventh at Iowa, one of the few tracks he is familiar with. A finish like that is a confidence booster for any rookie needing to get back on rhythm. With his talent and skill there is no doubt Kwasniewski will be racking up the top tens soon. He has all the tools at his disposal, and has the guidance of two veteran crew chiefs such as Pat Tryson and Scott Zipadelli. With two crew chief’s like that, it is only a matter of time until he finds his groove and is back to making a statement.