CONCORD, N.C. — Dario Franchitti will become the first European-born driver to race full-time at NASCAR’s highest level when he straps himself into the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates No. 40 Dodge at Daytona Int’l Speedway in February.
Franchitti, the 2007 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion, was officially announced as the driver of the No. 40 for the 2008 Sprint Cup season at a Wednesday morning press conference.
“It’s a big thing for me,” the Scotsman said of being NASCAR’s first full-time European-born driver. “It’s a big change from anything I’ve ever done before and I hope it will help grow the sport Internationally as well, but right now my focus is just on getting in the car and trying to be competitive.”
With Ganassi at his side, Franchitti said the move to Cup is the logical next step in a career that began in 1984 with a Scottish Junior Kart Championship at the age of 11.
“I’m really intrigued by the challenge of NASCAR,” said Franchitti, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. “That was the overriding part of the decision — winning the Indy 500 and the series championship just made that decision easier because I had achieved what I wanted to achieve, and it was time to move on and jump into this new world for me. It feels good.”
Franchitti, 34, will begin his stock-car racing career in this Friday’s ARCA/REMAX Series 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. From there, he will participate in ARCA, Busch Series and Nextel Cup races as deemed appropriate for the remainder of the 2007 season.
“It’ll be the same as last year (with Juan Pablo Montoya),” said Ganassi. “It’ll be week to week.”
If Franchitti progresses in ARCA competition, then he will try his hand in the Busch Series. If he does well at that level, then he will get a chance at the Nextel Cup Series.
But Franchitti will not be the only former open-wheel driver — or former Indy 500 winner — in this week’s ARCA race. Jacques Villeneuve, who won the 1995 Indy 500 and went on to win a world championship in Formula One, and former F-1 driver Scott Speed will also be in the ARCA field.
“Right now we’re taking it week by week with this program Chip has to introduce me to stock-car racing,” said Franchitti, who sat in a stock car for the first time for a seat-fitting Tuesday.
While Franchitti has not driven a stock car in the U.S., he has raced touring cars in Europe.
“It’s not the first time I’ve raced with a roof over my head,” he said.
Still, Franchitti said he has no illusions about how difficult the transition from Indy cars to stock cars will potentially be.
“I’m going from being in a position along with Tony Kanaan as a team leader to being a rookie, and that’s going to be interesting,” Franchitti said.
“It’s going to be tough — probably the toughest challenge of my career. There’s going to be a steep learning curve, and I hope I’m up to the challenge.”
Ganassi said he had talked with Franchitti about joining his Cup effort more than a year ago, but chose Juan Pablo Montoya, who left Formula One, instead.
A year later, with Coors leaving as David Stremme’s primary sponsor on the No. 40 and Ganassi’s ensuing decision to cut ties with Stremme, another seat became available, and this time it belonged to Franchitti. Ganassi said announcements concerning future sponsorships for the No. 40 and Franchitti will be forthcoming.
Ganassi said pursuing Franchitti, regardless of which series he came from or his place of birth, was a no-brainer.
“If there are great drivers — wherever they are, if we have an opening, I want to talk to them,” Ganassi said.