Dario Franchitti, who retired from top level racing in 2013 after suffering a concussion in a crash at the IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston, will return behind the wheel in St. Petersburg, but not in an IndyCar.
The 52-year-old will drive the No. 1 Tricon Garage Toyota Tundra in the inaugural Truck Series Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Feb. 28.
Tricon is using a rotating cast of drivers in the No. 1 “all-star” truck throughout the season, which will include Jimmie Johnson racing in just his second-ever Truck Series event during the NASCAR race weekend at Naval Base Coronado on June 19. Johnson helped put the deal together to get Franchitti to give it a shot in Florida.
“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. 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,” Johnson said. “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.”
CLICK FOR MORE NASCAR NEWS FROM AMERICAN CARS AND RACING
“The thought of racing a NASCAR truck on a street circuit is really intriguing to me, Franchitti said. “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.”
Franchitti had an illustrious IndyCar career that included four season championships and three Indy 500 wins, but sat out the 2008 season and entered 12 NASCAR Cup Series races with Chip Ganassi Racing. His lone Truck Series start was at the fall Martinsville race in 2007, where he finished 33rd.
SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN TO THE GAS: AN AMERICAN CARS AND RACING PODCAST ON YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM
