Charlie Kimball joins Chip Ganassi Racing

Novo Nordisk and Chip Ganassi Racing Team Up for 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series
Charlie Kimball to Pilot New IndyCar Entry

INDIANAPOLIS and PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 16 -- Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, has partnered with Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC to create the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team for 2011 IZOD IndyCar season.

The team will sponsor a new entry in the series driven by American racecar driver Charlie Kimball. This partnership makes Kimball one of the first drivers from the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights series to move up the official "Road to Indy" with a full season sponsorship.

Kimball, 25, finished fourth in the 2010 Indy Lights season, capturing five podium (top three) finishes, including four second-place finishes. With this team, he will become the first licensed driver with type 1 diabetes in the history of the Indy Racing League to race at the highest level of the Series.

"We have sponsored Charlie for the past two seasons in the Firestone Indy Lights series and seen his development not only as a race car driver, but also as a role model to thousands of people with diabetes," said Camille Lee, Vice President of Diabetes Marketing at Novo Nordisk. "We are excited to join Chip and the entire Ganassi organization to ensure Charlie's success not only on the race track, but also with Novo Nordisk to show that diabetes does not have to get in the way of your dreams."

The creation of the new team allows Novo Nordisk to continue as Kimball's primary sponsor, with naming rights to the car, as well as other branding elements. Kimball will also continue to make appearances for Novo Nordisk throughout the country, with the award-winning Race with Insulin and other diabetes campaigns. Novo Nordisk has sponsored Kimball since he joined the Indy Racing League in the 2009 season.

"Many don't realize this, but we have had a relationship with Charlie for a number of years now. I have been keeping close tabs on him and his successes in racing from afar for a while now -- whether he was racing in Formula 3 in Europe, or running in the Firestone Indy Lights Series the past few seasons," said racing legend and team owner Chip Ganassi. "We're excited to have the opportunity to turn this longstanding relationship into a reality with Charlie and Novo Nordisk."

Diagnosed with diabetes in 2007, Kimball monitors his blood sugar before, during and after each race, and uses the Novo Nordisk insulin Levemir (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection) and NovoLog (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) and a pre-filled insulin pen device, called FlexPen, to help manage his diabetes.

"I am honored to join Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing and excited to be moving up to the IZOD IndyCar Series," said Kimball. "This is a dream come true and I am very proud to work with Novo Nordisk and continue to spread the message that diabetes does not have to slow you down."

-source: ck/nn