Chip Ganassi Racing’s Global Rallycross team becomes Loenbro Motorsports

One of Red Bull Global Rallycross’s best teams has broken apart. Chip Ganassi Racing’s roster will run for Loenbro Motorsports in the 2017 season.

There’s been a major change at the top of Red Bull Global Rallycross just a few months before the new season. Chip Ganassi Racing championship contender Steve Arpin will now compete for Loenbro Motorsports.

Loenbro was partnered with CGR for two seasons, including the 2016 campaign in which Arpin and Brian Deegan each won one of the 12 races on their way to both finishing in the Top 4 on the year. But now owners Jon and Paul Leach have decided to rebrand as their own Rallycross team.

The new Loenbro Motorsports squad will be a two-car effort, though Arpin was the only driver spoken of by name in the owners’ comments Friday.

“We’re happy that we could keep most of our personnel together for the 2017 season,” said Jon Leach. “Steve Arpin is a talented driver and general manager, and our lead engineer Carl Goodman is a great asset to our hard-working team.”

There was no specific reason given in the press release as to why the organization decided to split from Chip Ganassi Racing, and now prompts the question of whether or not one of the most well known names in motorsports will have a presence in the league at all.

The only reference to Ganassi’s future in Rallycross was one line in Friday’s press release: “The team maintains a strong relationship with Chip Ganassi Racing, with the opportunity to work together in the future.”

If Ganassi does exit the league that’s another red flag for Rallycross fans. Chip Ganassi Racing entering the GRC grid was a huge feather in the proverbial cap, proving that this still growing form of racing could attract a marquee name with tremendous resources both on and off track. Now just two years later they could be gone.

Friday’s news comes after Patrik Sandell left Bryan Herta Autosport for Subaru, and after Red Bull Global Rallycross jumbled its schedule for the second consecutive year.

The good part of the deal is that Steve Arpin will remain front and center in his race team. The Canadian driver had one of his best seasons in 2016, thanks to finally having the resources to match his level of talent, and he’s also an incredibly hard-working and charismatic face to help build the future of this league. Arpin deserves stability and all the support he can get, so at least he will continue to race.

Here’s a video that Loenbro Motorsports made with Arpin to court sponsors nine months ago. Maybe it’ll make a comeback now:

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But how exactly will Loenbro Motorsports develop in 2017? Will it bring Deegan back to partner with Arpin or will he have to adjust to a new teammate? Will Loenbro have the same resources they enjoyed for the last two seasons with Ganassi? Retaining most of the crew helps but this is certainly a big leap into the unknown for a team that was on the brink of breaking out last season.

The 2017 Red Bull Global Rallycross season begins April 29 in Memphis.