Bathgate’s Marino Franchitti will again tackle the American Le Mans Series after his Dyson Racing team confirmed it would run an unchanged line-up in America’s Blue Riband sportscar championship.
Dyson has joined forces with Mazdaspeed to create a long-term partnership which will see the team campaign two Lola B09/86 LMP2 coupes in the ALMS Series.
“I am delighted to be back with Dyson Racing,” the 29-year-old Scot explained today. “Continuity and chemistry are such vital ingredients and amongst the team and drivers we have them both in abundance.
“I am also very pleased to be working with Mazda and Lola; together with the team and our new partners I am sure we can develop a really competitive package and hopefully top it all by winning the ALMS championship”.
Franchitti — who will test the car for the first time at next week’s ALMS’ annual Winter Test in Sebring, Florida — will again partner American Butch Leitzinger. The team’s second car will be run by Chris Dyson and England’s Guy Smith.
The ALMS season gets underway with the 12-Hours of Sebring, where Franchitti finished second last year, on March 21.
JM