News - OpenAI Partnership Gives Chip Ganassi Racing a New Tool in Pursuit of Speed

OpenAI Partnership Gives Chip Ganassi Racing a New Tool in Pursuit of Speed

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Posted on 08/23/2026

WASHINGTON -- Joyce Ruffell, a researcher at OpenAI, was a race fan who found herself touring IndyCar shops in Indianapolis as part of an immersive experience with the Women in Motorsports North America convention.  

While at Chip Ganassi Racing, Ruffell made some connections inside the shop that opened talks on a potential partnership between the two companies. Once both sides determined the fit, OpenAI signed on as a partner with all three CGR cars and this year expanded the partnership to multiple primary sponsorships of the No. 10 Honda, driven by multi-time champion Alex Palou.

“I think we were very open-minded, looking back at two years go,” Ruffell said. “This was before anyone was really looking into the space with an eye to AI. So we were very bright-eyed with a lot of ideas on how we can work together.” 

Now in its second season with CGR, the artificial intelligence research organization and technology company that developed advanced generative AI systems like ChatGPT and the GPT large language model series, is working every week to determine how the team can best utilize its services.