Bathgate’s Dario Franchitti, returning to IndyCars 12 months after his miserable experience in Nascars, showed he will be a force in the championship after he posted the second-quickest time in pre-qualifying for tomorrow’s opening round in Florida.
The 35-year-old Scot, the 2007 Indycar champ and Indy500 winner, lapped the twisty 1.8-mile St Petersburg street circuit in his Target Ganassi car in 1min 02.9569secs, an average of 102.928mph.
“It’s great to get back on to a street circuit in an open-wheel car,” Franchitti, who was only pipped by 0.1193s by Aussie Will Power, admitted yesterday (Sat). “I can’t tell you how much fun it is to have so much speed and grip in a car again.
“I finished third last time I raced at the circuit two years ago in 2007 and hopefully, certainly based on the pace we’ve shown already, we can start the season with a win.”
Such was Franchitti’s pace that he relegated his Ganassi team-mate and defending champ, Scott Dixon, down to third. The Kiwi lapped in 1:03.0141 (102.834mph).
At the same venue, Marino Franchitti will start the opening round of the American Le Mans Series at St Petersburg from fifth on the grid in his Dyson-Mazda.
The 29-year-old, partnered by American Butch Leitzinger, clocked 1min 05.666secs to finish just 0.202s behind their team-mates, England’s Guy Smith and American Chris Dyson. The Acura of former Paul Stewart Racing driver, Brazilian Gil de Ferran, lines up on pole.
JM