IndyCar veteran makes a full-time NASCAR switch

NASCAR: Truck Series Championship — Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

IndyCar Series veteran Marco Andretti is going to make a serious run at learning NASCAR in 2024.

The longtime Indianapolis 500 contender, and two-time IndyCar race winner, will compete in 20 races across the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Racing Series and ARCA West. The campaign begins in February at Daytona International Speedway in the prestigious ARCA opener.

Combined, he will make seven starts at the Truck Series level, starting with Circuit of the Americas in Texas plus Indianapolis Raceway Park, Milwaukee Mile, Bristol, Kansas, Homestead and Phoenix. Most of his ARCA starts are companion events with the Truck Series to maximize his seat time at each time of venue.

He will race in ARCA for veteran crew chief and team owner, Bruce Cook, through his Cook Racing Technologies race team which has also entered into an alliance with Roper Racing to make up the Truck Series appearances.

Andretti will drive a No. 17 in ARCA and the No. 04 in Trucks.

“I’m really happy with the program we’ve put in place for my racing schedule in 2024,” said Andretti. “This plan is a good mixture of races with the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Truck Series that provides maximum track time, which is what I’m after.

“It will answer a lot of my unknowns in stock cars. I also want to do it the right way and not go right to the top of their sport on my INDYCAR and SRX merit as I respect the amount of talent in all of the various stock car series. I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun with Bruce and the team. I’m confident that we can be pretty competitive right out of the gate”

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The schedule also leaves open the month of May so he can continue chasing a victory at Indianapolis in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Andretti finished second in the 2006 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie. He has three other podium finishes. He started from the pole in 2020. He spent the entirety of his career driving for his father Michael.

Andretti is the grandson of the legendary Marco Andretti, who won the Daytona 500 in 1967 as part of a career that also inlcuded the 1969 Indy 500 win and 1978 F1 championship.

After 251 starts and nine top-10 championship finishes through 15 full-time seasons, Andretti methodically began to pursue a Stock Car career. He spent the past three years racing in Superstar Racing Experience and won the 2022 championship.

He also made his Xfinity Series debut in 2022 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, adding three Truck Series starts in 2023.

Cook won the ARCA West championship last year with Sean Hingorani and is looking forward to developing Andretti as a Stock Car racer in a similar manner.

“I am looking forward to working with Marco and helping him to develop and grow as a driver in stock cars,” said Cook. “Marco has a proven track record across multiple racing platforms. I think with some more seat time and guidance in the stock car world, he’ll be able to compete up front on a regular basis.”