American Le Mans/Sebring
Marino Franchitti steps up to P2 for Andretti Green Racing and Acura
By Kate Shaw
Photos courtesy Lisa Salazar and American Le Mans Series
SEBRING, Florida (March 15, 2007) — Marino Franchitti, who used to bill himself as “the other Franchitti”, has stepped up from GT2 to P2 for Andretti Green Racing in the American Le Mans Series for 2007. He is test and reserve driver for this Sebring weekend, but that doesn’t bother him a bit. “I knew about it before I joined the team, so it wasn’t a surprise. I got a chance to drive the No. 26 AGR Acura on Monday,” he said, “which is the first time I’ve driven it since November, and I’m really impressed by the strides the team have made since then! But of course I would have expected nothing less. This is the most professional and dedicated team I’ve ever driven for and I love every minute of it. The team have left no stone unturned, working day and night, since the Acura program first started, and it’s really paid off. The Michelin tires are a large part of our rapid progress; Donny is a full part of our debriefs and he understands tires like a meteorologist understands the weather. Michelin have given us every assistance and it shows.”

You may have seen the television program “Acura: Project LMP” which ran on Speed Channel March 2nd. (If you haven’t or if you would like to see it again, it will re-air on Speed Channel immediately preceding the Speed Channel broadcast of the 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday). Marino said that not only was the work done during the filming quite an experience for the drivers, but also it was a work-out for the crew to familiarize themselves with ALMS regulations and what could and could not be done, as well as a chance to practice pit stops in real time. The three Acura teams staged a practice 12 hour race among themselves, during which the AGR car suffered an unexpected fire, but which gave the team a chance to experience race-day type pressures. Marino featured in that program, which he has not yet viewed, and it’s clear his input and experience are welcomed. “My first experience in the car,” he said, “was at Homestead – in the pitch black dark in a thunderstorm! What a way to learn the limits of the car. But I loved it; it was great fun. I don’t mind running in the rain; after all, I am a Scot.”

For Marino there were no surprises in either integrating with the team or learning the car. “I enjoy racing with my brother [IRL driver Dario Franchitti],” he said. “When we drove together in the Rolex 24, both in 2005 and 2006, we learned to work together; and there are many people on the team that I know from the IRL program, so we all work together and they welcomed me in as part of the family right away.” To a question about whether the work at the Rolex influenced them to call upon him, he said that he had no information. “When I heard about the program,” he said, “I started calling the team and asking them to keep me in mind if they had room in their program. And I am happy that they did.”

At the Houston Grand Prix last year when the Acura program was introduced, there was some talk of AGR running two cars in the American Le Mans Series; however, Marino said he had not heard anything about a second car. “You would have to check that with the team owners,” he said, “but as far as I am aware, there is not at this time any plan for a second car.” Meanwhile, Marino is assisting with development work and while he provides feedback and information, he’s also getting an engineering education. “I will race at St. Petersburg,” he said, “I’ve already been told that. And I’ll be at Houston too. Honestly, it’s an honour and an education just to be a part of such a program as we have at AGR, and I count that far more than I’d count just coming in to drive in a lesser program.”

In 2006, Marino proved himself the master of the Ferrari 430 GT, four examples of which are competing this weekend in the GT2 class. He modestly put his success down to “good cars and good teams”; however, his ability to drop everything and head to Italy (home of Ferrari) and a brand new track on literally hours notice, and then actually win the race, argues that perhaps Marino had something significant to do with the success of Ferraris with him behind the wheel! It is his hope that he will be able to sign on as a driver for the 24 Hours of Spa and at the Nürburgring. However, those will likely be the only two races external to the Acura program that he will run in 2007. “I have a lot to learn and absorb,” he said, ‘in this team, so it’s not likely that I will be able to fit in any other races this year.”

Marino Franchitti is very much looking forward to 2007 and in building the relationship he has with Andretti-Green Racing. And it would not surprise anybody who has seen him race if he doesn’t stand on a podium before the season ends.

That’s how good he is.