Franchitti begins two-day Indy test

Eighty-seven days after lifting his second IndyCar Championship with victory in the season finale at Homestead in Florida, Bathgate’s Dario Franchitti tomorrow (Jan 6) returns to the Sunshine State to begin his preparations for the new season.

“We’ve a lot of hard work to do before the season starts with the first race in Brazil in March,” the 36-year-old Scot explained today before joining his Target Ganassi team for the two-day test.

“Of course it was fantastic to win last year in my first season with the Ganassi guys, but I know this season is going to be even tougher so we’re all going to have to work even harder than before.”

Franchitti will again partner Kiwi Scott Dixon, the man he pipped to both the 2007 and ‘09 titles in the final laps of the final race of each season.

“I think Scott’s getting a bit concerned that I’ve got the curse on him,” Franchitti, who will also bid to win his second Indianapolis 500 in May, laughed. “We’re great mates and get on well, but when we’re in our cars we both want to win.

“Scott’s my toughest rival, but we both know the guys at Andretti and Penske will up their games in a bid to stop us winning. It’s going to be another long, hard season and the work starts this week.”

JM

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