John Andretti
No. 10 RVs.com/Camping World Ford Fusion
Zippo 200/ Watkins Glen International
Saturday, August 12, 2006
GETTING BACK TO ROAD RACING ROOTS AT “THE GLEN”
Taking on the second road course event of the season, Andretti is confident his experience at Watkins Glen will pay off. He has completed 810 laps on the famed road course in his Nextel Cup career. No stranger to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen, Andretti has also won a prototype race and a 24-hour race at the track.
Although entrenched in a heated battle for Rookie of the Year, Andretti is not a “rookie” to road racing. He already has one impressive road course win under his belt. He won the Gold Coast Grand Prix PPG/CART race in Surfers Paradise, Australia the first time he entered.
The RVs.com/Camping World team is taking chassis #49 to Watkins Glen. It is not the same car Andretti raced in Mexico. The team built a brand new road course car for this event. Andretti and the team tested the new chassis on Tuesday at Virginia International Raceway.
Andretti is currently second in the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year point standings, just three points behind leader, Burney Lamar.
Holding steady in the 13th position in the Busch Series driver point standings, Andretti is just 150 points away from the 10th position, held by ppc Racing teammate, Kenny Wallace. The #10 team is 16th in series owner point standings.
ANDRETTI AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
Saturdays running of the Zippo 200 will mark Andretti’s first Busch Series race at Watkins Glen International. Andretti does have experience on the 2.45-mile road course. In nine Nextel Cup starts, he finished in the top-10 twice.
ANDRETTI ON THE ZIPPO 200 AND WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
“I remember going to Watkins Glen way back when my uncle (Mario) ran Formula 1. I’ve won a Prototype race there, won a 24-hour race there, but I’d like to win a NASCAR race there. We’ve been strong there in the past but it’s one of those places where track position is so important. Unlike Sears Point, where you can really race somebody and get the position, Watkins Glen is just straight-aways and breaking points so the oval racers seem to do better at Watkins Glen than Sears Point. It’s always good to come up here. It’s like going back to a piece of history.”
