Andretti Switching to Green

By SHAV GLICK

Sept. 27, 2000 12 AM PT

Michael Andretti, the winningest active driver in the CART champ car series, is switching teams next year.

Andretti, 37, will join Barry Green’s Team Green in a Motorola-sponsored Reynard-Honda, where he will be teammates with Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti. He is leaving the Newman-Haas team, for which he has driven for 10 seasons, including 1991, when he won the CART championship.

The announcement ended speculation that Andretti might switch to an Indy Racing League team so that he could drive in the Indianapolis 500.

“There is still hope that Team Green will be at Indy, but very unlikely next year,” said Andretti. “We all hope to get back to Indy, but it will take time. I’m looking forward to working with Barry Green again.”

Andretti and Green teamed in 1986-88 with Kraco Racing.

Andretti, who is 12 wins shy of his father Mario’s record of 52 in Indy cars, said he gave serious consideration to an IRL offer, but when Green offered his proposal, it was too difficult to turn down.

“I think it is critical to have multiple-car teams in CART,” said Green. “We will have three drivers who all believe they can win the championship, but they must understand that they must use each other to build toward that goal.”

Andretti has three races remaining with Newman-Haas this year and is in third place going into Sunday’s race in Houston, only 10 points behind Gil de Ferran in the championship standings.

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NASCAR in 2001

Feb. 18--Daytona Beach, Fla.

Feb. 25--Rockingham, N.C.

March 4--Las Vegas

March 11--Hampton, Ga.

March 18--Darlington, S.C.

March 25--Bristol, Tenn.

April 1--Fort Worth, Texas

April 8--Martinsville, Va.

April 22--Talladega, Ala.

April 29--Fontana