Marco Andretti “looking at” Acura IMSA GTP chance with WTRAndretti
IndyCar race winner and SRX champion Marco Andretti says he’s interested in joining Acura’s driving roster for its IMSA SportsCar Championship program next year.
Wayne Taylor Racing joined forces with his father Michael’s Andretti Autosport team this year to bolster its technical strength to run the complex Oreca-chassised, HPD-powered ARX-06 hybrid machine.
Following the most recent round at Laguna Seca, WTR confirmed it will run a second entry in the series for 2024, and that it had re-signed Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor to spearhead its lead car.
When asked by Motorsport.com if he’d be interested in joining its driver lineup in some capacity, Andretti replied: “We’re looking at that. That’s definitely a possibility.”
#26 Andretti Green Racing Acura ARX-01B Acura: Franck Montagny, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti
Photo by: Richard Sloop
The third-generation Andretti is no stranger to sportscar competition, having previously been an endurance race ‘extra’ in Andretti Green Racing’s Acura LMP2 program in 2008. He also contested in the Le Mans 24 Hours with Rebellion in 2010 and the Daytona 24 Hours with Starworks in 2012.
“I feel like I’ve got some unfinished business in sportscars for sure,” said Andretti. “I’ve run the Rolex 24 with [Ryan] Hunter-Reay and were looking good there until a gearbox issue knocked us out, we had Sebring won until the radiator overheated, we had Petit Le Mans won until the last 10 minutes of the race when Franck Montagny got caught up [in a crash].
“So, a lot of stuff has eluded me there to check those boxes. We’ll see if there can be an opportunity.”
Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta w/ Marco & Curb-Agajanian Honda
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
Andretti confirmed that he is committed to returning to the Indy 500 each year, calling it “my golden goose, the one at the top of the list – I prioritize this race because it means everything to me”.
This was the 50th year of Indy 500 starts for the Andretti name – across Mario, Michael and Marco – and the latter, who has 18 starts of his own at the age of 36, believes he has at least another 12 in him.
“Mario did 29 starts, I’ll do 30,” he declared. “If I’m blessed to be unscathed with the safety and great sponsors, man I want to win this race so bad.
“We haven’t been quick since we were on pole [in 2020] so it’s been tough from that standpoint, and we have some speed to find. It’s not for the lack of trying, this team puts everything into this sport and this race.
“We’ll keep coming back as long as we’re able to.”
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