Michael Andretti says one of the reasons why IRL champion Dan Wheldon elected not to re-sign with his Andretti-Green team for 2006 is his desire to go NASCAR racing.
Wheldon, who captured the Indy 500 and series title last season, will race for Chip Ganassi's team this season. Ganassi also fields a NASCAR team with Felix Sabates.
"That was part of the deal," Andretti tells a Pennsylvania newspaper. "That was one of the reasons he went there."
In fact, Wheldon's manager, Julian Jakobi, indicated that he has aspirations beyond the IRL, be it NASCAR or Formula One. Jakobi added that there is language in the deal with Ganassi which includes a move up to NASCAR, possibly as early as 2007.
Andretti did not discount the possibility of expanding his own team into NASCAR and competing in the Super Bowl of stock car races, the Daytona 500.
"We look at all options. We're still looking at options to expand the team. Is NASCAR one of them? Maybe. But there are other areas of racing, too. If we do decide to do something, we want to do it right."
Marco, whose grandfather Mario is one of only two men to have won both the Indy 500 and Daytona 500, isn't so sure that racing with a fender and a roof over his head is something he'd like to do anytime soon.
"I'm a road racer, an open-wheel racer," Marco said. "I'm totally focused on what I'm doing. I'm not thinking about anything else. The idea has no interest for me, except it might be neat for Dad to have a team."
The 17-year-old Andretti will make his IRL debut on March 26 at St. Petersburg, Florida.