AP Exclusive: Felix Sabates to retire from NASCAR ownership

FILE - In this Jan. 30, 2011, file photo, car owners Felix Sabates, left, and Chip Ganassi hold a guitar trophy after winning the Grand Am Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Felix Sabates is leaving NASCAR after 30 years as a team owner. His record shows 50 Cup wins, including victories at the crown jewels Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and NASCAR's All-Star race. He also coaxed Ganassi into sports car racing and the IMSA teams won 64 races and seven series championships. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2014, file photo, Felix Sabates, right, co-owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, speaks during a news conference at the NASCAR Sprint Cup auto racing Media Tour in Charlotte, N.C. Felix Sabates is leaving NASCAR after 30 years as a team owner. His record shows 50 Cup wins, including victories at the crown jewels Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and NASCAR's All-Star race. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2007, file photo, NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya, left, of Colombia, shares a laugh with co-owners Felix Sabates, center, and Chip Ganassi as they wait for qualifying for the Daytona 500 auto race, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Felix Sabates is leaving NASCAR after 30 years as a team owner. The Cuban refugee came to the United States at 15 and built a lucrative business that allowed him to enter NASCAR in 1989. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith, File)

FILE - In this June 13, 2010, file photo, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing part owner Felix Sabates gestures on pit row during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. Felix Sabates is leaving NASCAR after 30 years as a team owner. His record shows 50 Cup wins, including victories at the crown jewels Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and NASCAR's All-Star race. (AP Photo/Bob Brodbeck, File)