IndyCar legend Dario Franchitti will be returning to NASCAR competition for the first time since 2008, after over a decade away from racing. An announcement from Tricon Garage revealed Franchitti will drive the No. 1 Toyota in the St. Petersburg Craftsman Truck Series street race on Saturday, February 28.
When the Craftsman Truck Series rolls off the grid in St. Petersburg, Florida, it’ll be the first time NASCAR has ever competed there. The race will coincide with the IndyCar Series Grand Prix of St. Petersburg the following day.
A Partnership of Legends
According to Franchitti, his NASCAR return stemmed from a conversation with another racing icon: Jimmie Johnson. The one-off start will be supported by Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club organization, with LMC partner Dollar Tree serving as the primary sponsor. Johnson himself will be teaming up with Tricon Garage later this season for the Naval Base Coronado street course race in San Diego.
“For me, with the opportunity to race the truck, it was really [Jimmie], it was the whole team that he has there that made it all happen,” Franchitti said. “His relationship with Toyota, Dollar Tree coming on as a sponsor — it’s all been through Jimmie and the team at Legacy MC. If it goes well, great. If it doesn’t go well, I am going to be blaming Jimmie.”
“Dario and I had been talking for a long time about the chance to race together, so when he approached me about St. Petersburg, I knew I had to get to work,” Johnson added. “I called him back a day later with an incredible opportunity to join a championship-winning team with Toyota and the great people at Tricon. It’s been a lot of fun getting him integrated into the team and spending more time together, going through the process of getting him back to racing.”
Franchitti’s Diverse Background
St. Petersburg will be only the second time Franchitti has competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His debut was all the way back in 2007, when he raced at Martinsville Speedway for Cunningham Motorsports. Franchitti also ran part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2007 and 2008.
Though he’s no stranger to NASCAR, the 52-year-old Scotsman has a far longer resume in IndyCar racing. Franchitti earned the series championship in 2007, ’09, ’10, and ’11, and won the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, ’10, and ’12. He retired from IndyCar competition after the 2013 season, and in that time he’s remained fully removed from professional racing.
“The thought of racing a NASCAR truck on a street circuit is really intriguing to me,” Franchitti continued. “The different surfaces, the fact that part of it is on an airport, then you go into the streets, the different bumps, all those things you got to try and master. This was just the chance to race on a circuit that I love, and a chance to do something fun.”
In his IndyCar career, Franchitti has eight starts at the St. Petersburg street course. In those races he has one win and five top-five finishes. His 9.4 average finish at the track is fifth-best among drivers with eight or more starts there.
