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Franchitti Gets Stock Car Baptism

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The Associated Press

Published: October 5, 2007

TALLADEGA, Ala. - It took Dario Franchitti less than a straightaway to know he was in foreign territory Friday at Talladega Superspeedway.

The reigning IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner saw the green flag wave for the start of Friday's ARCA RE/MAX 250, his stock car debut, and immediately ran out of room on the high-banked 2.66-mile oval.

'You can't pass on the left in this kind of racing like you can in IndyCar and people checked up in front of me on the start and I had nowhere to go,' Franchitti said, grinning. 'That was my first learning experience and it continued all day.'

The 34-year-old Scot, driving his first race for new employer Chip Ganassi, managed to stay out of trouble throughout the 94-lap event and wound up 17th.

'It was a lot of fun out there,' he said. 'I'm disappointed with the result. But what I've learned, I don't think you can put a price on it. I learned so much today. I'm looking at the long game, I'm looking at next year.'

Franchitti, who signed a multiyear contract Wednesday to replace David Stremme in Ganassi's No. 40 Cup entry, had never even sat in a stock car until earlier this week.

Franchitti qualified sixth Thursday but had to start from the rear of the 41-car field after his crew changed the engine in his No. 42 Dodge.

Franchitti was outshone by another open-wheel refugee, Scott Speed, who finished seventh in his first stock car start.

Speed, the only American in Formula One before being let go earlier this season by the Scuderia Toro Rossa team, qualified seventh, got as high as third and was never out of the top 15.

The race was won by Bill Davis Racing rookie Michael Annett, who dominated, leading 75 laps on the way to giving Toyota its first ARCA win in his first superspeedway race.

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