From: Michael Powell 

YOUNG AMERICAN RENNA TO DRIVE FOR GANASSI IN 2004

INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday Oct. 1, 2003 _ IndyCarTM Series veteran Tony Renna
will drive the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G
Force/Toyota/Firestone in 2004, Target Chip Ganassi Racing officials
announced Oct. 1.

Renna, 26, from Deland, Fla., will team with current Ganassi driver Scott
Dixon. The two drivers were teammates in 2000 in Indy Lights.

_This is a great opportunity for me,_ Renna said. _They are a first-class
organization and are dedicated to one thing: winning. When the opportunity
came up, it was hard to keep the smile off of my face. I wish that the
season was starting now, not ending.

_I have to thank Chip, Target and the whole organization for giving me the
chance to drive here. Teaming up with Scott again is going to be a lot of
fun._

Renna has been under contract with Kelley Racing since May 2002 and
competed in seven IndyCar Series races with the team, scoring five top-10
finishes, including a career-best fourth in 2002 at Michigan. 

He started eighth and finished seventh as a rookie at the 87th Indianapolis
500 in May 2003.

_I_m thrilled to have Tony on board here at Team Target,_ team owner Chip
Ganassi said. _He_s a talented driver who has the ability to win races.
He_s going to make a great addition to the team.

_Scott and Tony have been teammates before, and I think they will be a
great combination for us for the future. I feel that he has the talent to
win races and contend for a championship._

While Dixon and Renna were teammates at PacWest Racing in the 2000 Indy
Lights season, Dixon won the championship, and Renna finished fifth.

_Tony and I have always had a good relationship, and it_s great to have him
as a teammate again,_ Dixon said. _We_ve spoken quite a bit this year, and
if I had to choose a teammate, Tony would probably be the guy I_d choose.
We get on very well, and I_m really looking forward to next season._

Target Chip Ganassi Racing won CART championships from 1996-99 with Jimmy
Vasser (1996), Alex Zanardi (1997-98) and Juan Pablo Montoya (1999).
Montoya also won the 2000 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race for Ganassi. In
addition, Ganassi was co-owner of Patrick Racing in 1989 when Emerson
Fittipaldi won the Indianapolis 500 and the CART championship.

Ganassi fielded one car in the IndyCar Series in 2002, for Jeff Ward, and
is competing exclusively in the IndyCar Series in 2003 with Dixon and Tomas
Scheckter.

With one race remaining, the Chevy 500 on Oct. 12 at Texas Motor Speedway,
Dixon is tied with Helio Castroneves for the IndyCar Series points lead.
Each driver has 467 points.

The 2004 IndyCar Series season, the ninth season of competition for the
series, will kick off with the Toyota Indy 300 on March 2, 2004 at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dixon won the 2003 event.





--- Internet Rex 2.29