Chip Ganassi Racing confirm Extreme E driver line-up with Kyle LeDuc signing
INDIANAPOLIS (July 14, 2020) – Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today the signing of their second Extreme E driver, Kyle LeDuc, a six-time Pro-4 Short Course Off-Road Champion with a record of 101 victories, giving CGR the first complete driver lineup in the new series. Previously, CGR was the first Extreme E team to announce a driver, confirming Off-road Truck Champion and X Games medalist Sara Price for the 2021 season. LeDuc and Price will wrangle a 550-horsepower, electric SUV in extreme environments around the world that have been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues.
Extreme E’s five-race global voyage, spanning four continents, will highlight the impact of climate change and human activity on some of the world’s most remote locations, while promoting sustainability and the adoption of electric vehicles to help protect the planet.
CGR NOTES OF INTEREST:
- About Kyle LeDuc: LeDuc (38), coming off his most recent wins on the 2020 season at the ERX Off-Road National Pro-4 Short Course double-header last weekend, brings his career-record to an astonishing 101 victories. LeDuc entered the Pro-4 category in 2008 and has since won six Pro-4 Championships in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS), with his first in 2012 and finishing out the 2019 season with his most recent championship win. These titles became the norm for LeDuc as he continued to achieve a career-total of three LOORRS Challenge Cup wins, two Pro-4 World Championships, and two LOORRS Driver of the Year titles. Kyle LeDuc has also competed in several Trophy Truck races with great success including the 2016 Baja 1000 where he qualified first and started first on the road and finished fifth in his first ever attempted Trophy Truck race. At the age of 20, LeDuc, nicknamed “The Kid”, was the youngest active driver in off-road racing and became the 2003 Prolite World Champion at Crandon International Raceway then Prolite Champion the following year. Not only is LeDuc one of the best in off-road, he has the mind of an engineer and builds his own race vehicles from the ground up.
- The Drivers – Both Male and Female: Marking a world first in motor racing, Extreme E will see teams field both a male and female driver in its races – promoting gender equality and a level playing field amongst competitors. They will compete together in every two-lap race as driver and co-driver, with each completing one lap behind the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21 electric-SUV, with a changeover incorporated into the race format.
- CGR Making History: While celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2020, Chip Ganassi Racing has compiled historic victories in some of the most iconic races around the globe. CGR has claimed eight wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, four Indianapolis 500s, the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, making Team Owner Chip Ganassi the only owner in history to score wins in those iconic races. In total, CGR has now tallied 19 series championships and more than 225 race victories.
QUOTEBOARD:
- Kyle LeDuc, Driver, Chip Ganassi Racing: “I am beyond excited to announce that I will be driving in the Extreme E series for Chip Ganassi Racing. Not only do I get to drive these fully electric 4-wheel drive cars around the world, but I get to do it for the man himself, the biggest team in motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing. I was born and raised around racing with my family and to see the desire and determination in Chip and the entire team to be successful and win in this newly developed form of motorsports has given me the drive to bring victories to this program. The 2021 Extreme E series is going to be groundbreaking and we are going in with the goal of victory! I’m looking forward to working with my teammate, Sara Price. Some of the unprecedented features of this new series will be splitting these races 50/50 and racing worldwide in climate-affected areas. This is a huge opportunity for all involved and we cannot wait to get this thing started!”
- Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO, Extreme E: “Congratulations to all at Chip Ganassi Racing for completing their driver line-up and a big welcome to the Extreme E family Kyle. I’m really looking forward to seeing both Sara and Kyle race, they’re both super successful in their motorsport endeavors and have already achieved so much. I’m sure they’ll be bringing this determination and skill to the Extreme E paddock.”
- Mike Hull, Managing Director, Chip Ganassi Racing: “We are really excited about Kyle joining our team and being a teammate to Sara in Extreme E. Kyle is a really quality off-road, all-terrain driver. Presently, Kyle has 101 victories in off-road racing. He is a true champion, a race winner, and understands how to drive in all terrains. He will have a positive effect, not only behind the wheel but also with our team with his experience. We are looking forward to him joining Chip Ganassi Racing!”
About Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and two cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. Overall, his teams have 19 championships and more than 220 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis, and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh.
For more information log onto www.www.chipganassiracing.com