| MICHIGAN
INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Sunday,
July 30, 2006 on ABC
A
New Andretti On The Rise
PHOTO
COURTESY OF MIS
Source:
Michigan International Speedway
BROOKLYN,
MI. – "Second place is nothing."
With a statement
like that immediately after "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing",
it's clear that Marco Andretti has risen to the top for reasons
other than his family name.
A 19-year-old
native of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Andretti was merely a car-length
away on May 28 from doing what no teenager has done in the history
of the IRL IndyCar® Series: win a race. The stage was not a
small one, for it was before over 250,000 fans watching live and
millions watching on TV in perhaps the most famous race in the world,
the Indianapolis 500. Though Andretti was edged by Sam Hornish Jr.
at the stripe in the second-closest finish in race history, one
thing was clear about the rookie: a star had been born.
Marco comes
to MIS this weekend hoping to build upon the remarkable record of
Andretti family success in the Irish Hills. In 31 Champ Car starts
from 1968 to 1994, his grandfather Mario piled up three wins and
16 top-five finishes. In an incredible eight-race stretch from 1980
to 1984, Mario finished no lower than fourth place in any race at
MIS. Marco's father, Michael, has been solid as well, with two victories
and eight top-10s in 21 starts.
The eldest
of Michael's three children, Marco has raced since the tender age
of nine. Throughout the beginning of his career, he primarily participated
in kart racing, moving to cars for 2003. After racking up eight
first place finishes, he won both the Rookie of the Year award and
the championship of the Skip Barber Formula Dodge Eastern Series
Championship. 2004 was another banner year for the young Andretti,
as he racked up 17 victories on his way to the Skip Barber Formula
Dodge Southern Series Championship, the Skip Barber National Series
Championship, and the Formula TR Series Championship. 2005 saw a
move to the IRL Infiniti Pro Series, where he won three poles and
three events in six entries, setting the stage for a breakthrough
campaign in 2006.
To say the
future is bright for the growth of the next branch on the historical
Andretti family tree would be an understatement. With his start
in the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
in March at 19 years, 13 days, Andretti became the second-youngest
starter in the history of the IndyCar Series. A win at Michigan
this weekend would make him one of the only teenagers ever to taste
victory in the Irish Hills, and it would be a great start to the
creation of his own legacy.
Guests who
wish to purchase fan hospitality packages – and secure the
best remaining seats for MIS’s premier events – may
call 1-800-354-1010. Guests who have already purchased tickets and
would like to upgrade to a fan hospitality package are encouraged
to contact the MIS Ticket Office at 1-800-354-1010.
The following hospitality packages remain
for the 2006 season:
-Legends Club, IRL IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 400 (July 30)
-Victory Lane Club, NASCAR Busch Series Carfax 250, (August 19)
-Victory Lane Club, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series GFS Marketplace 400
(August 20)
Tickets for the IRL IndyCar Series Firestone Indy 400 delivered
by Domino’s Pizza are available by calling 1-800-354-1010
or by visiting www.MISpeedway.com.
Children 12 and under are free to all Firestone Indy 400 weekend
activities.
Return
to our 2006
IRL FIRESTONE INDY 400 Index.
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To
order tickets:
Call
the MIS Ticket Hotline
(800)
354-1010 or (517) 592-6672
Order
online 24/7 at www.MISpeedway.com
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