Chip Ganassi always has had a knack for delivering surprises. Ganassi did it again with the driver lineup for the No. 01 Ford EcoBoost Riley DP Ganassi, which includes Austria’s Alex Wurz, who announced his retirement last year.
“Chip asked me if I’m happy to do this race, and I told him that I was delighted,” said Wurz. “It’s a cool car, an amazing team and a great organization. I’m happy to be here.”
Wurz, who competed in Formula 1 between 1997 and 2007, most recently drove Toyota’s P1 in WEC competition prior to his retirement.
How did he end up in another ride so soon? Apparently there was a plan all along.
“I always had Daytona on the list,” Wurz said. “I have interviews that go back about 15 years where I said how much I would like to race in the States and at Daytona. So I had to retire to have the time to do it because it always clashed with my factory contracts.”
Racing in America seems to be living up to Wurz’s expectations, as he has been impressed during his short time at Daytona International Speedway.
“I’m taking it all in,” he said. “Already, coming here and seeing the grandstands, so big and massive. The track, Daytona, for us Europeans it’s such a cool name. A lot of history here, that’s cool.”
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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