AP News, January 3rd, 2007
Dario Franchitti will remain with Andretti Green Racing in the IRL's IndyCar Series this season.
AGR said Wednesday that Franchitti will be one of its four full-time drivers, along with Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti, the son of team co-owner Michael Andretti.
Patrick will replace Bryan Herta on the team.
"I haven't been this excited to get back into a race car in quite a long time," Franchitti said. "We had some very good race cars last season and I expect to be contending for race wins when we return to the track in March."
The 2007 season opens March 24 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The 33-year-old will also join his brother Marino Franchitti in the American Le Mans sports car series, which will open at Sebring, Fla., on March 17.
Michael Andretti came out of retirement to finish third in the Indianapolis 500 last year, behind winner Sam Hornish Jr. and Marco Andretti. He has not said whether he will race at Indy this year. Franchitti, who has four IRL wins, was seventh at Indianapolis in 2006. He missed the final race last season because of a concussion he suffered in a crash during qualifying for a vintage auto race in England.
A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of four-time Indy winner and team owner A.J. Foyt, subbed for Franchitti in the final IndyCar race last season at Chicago and is expected to sign later this week with Vision Racing, team spokesman Michael Kaltenmark said Wednesday.
It would be the 22-year-old Foyt's first full-time ride in the IRL since he left his grandfather's team in 2005 to pursue a ride in NASCAR.
