Okuma and Chip Ganassi Racing Expand Sponsorship

CNC machine tool manufacturer Okuma America Corporation (Charlotte, NC) and Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT;, Concord, NC)) have expanded their partnership agreement to now include the No. 1 Chevrolet SS, driven by Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The  team will utilize Okuma CNC machine tools and technology in their machine shop to produce parts and equipment in support of the team’s NASCAR efforts.

Okuma equipment is already used by Ganassi’s Verizon IndyCar Series and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship teams in Indianapolis. Okuma president and chief operating officer Jim King noted, “We have had a long and successful partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams through INDYCAR and we feel this is a natural extension of that relationship. Both Okuma and Chip Ganassi Racing Teams are considered leaders in their respective industries and we look forward to helping the team win races.”

“They have been a great partner of ours for a number of years and we are very happy to see the partnership continue to grow,” said Chip Ganassi Racing Teams president Steve Lauletta. “Having them as a partner on the No. 1 Chevrolet this year is very exciting for all of us here with the race team. Most importantly, the great partnership that we have created with them over the last five years is surpassed only by the performance of their CNC machines that we have in our shop.”

Okuma America is the U.S.-based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools and machining process optimization, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. The company is the industry’s only single-source provider, with the machine, control, drive and spindle all manufactured by Okuma. Along with its industry-leading distribution network (largest in the Americas), Okuma delivers an expansive breadth of products, technology strength and innovation, and deep service and support offerings that empower the customer. www.okuma.com

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 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 four cars in the Verizon IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.  Overall his teams have 16 championships and over 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and six Rolex 24 At Daytonas.  Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn. www.chipganassiracing.com

www.okuma.com/chip-ganassi-racing