“Dario and I had been talking for a long time about the chance to race together, so when he approached me about St. Petersburg, I knew I had to get to work,” said Johnson. “I called him back a day later with an incredible opportunity to join a championship-winning team with Toyota and the great people at TRICON.”
“It’s been a lot of fun getting him integrated into the team and spending more time together, going through the process of getting him back to racing. I’m so excited it all came together and thankful that Dollar Tree is going to support. I am looking forward to sitting on the pit box alongside the team and sharing this experience with Dario.”
Franchitti stepped away from open-wheel competition in 2008 to pursue an opportunity with Chip Ganassi Racing in NASCAR, which included 10 Cup Series starts before returning to IndyCar with Ganassi in 2009.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Grand Prix of St. Petersburg serves as a precursor to the IndyCar Series season opener. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event is scheduled for Saturday, February 28 at 12 p.m. ET, with coverage on FOX, SiriusXM and the NASCAR Racing Network.
-Photo credit: TRICON Garage