Marco Andretti, cousin Jarett team up for IMSA LMP3 debut

Marco Andretti will make his IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship debut June 27 in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen, teaming with cousin Jarett Andretti as a co-driver on the No. 36 Gallant Ligier JS P320 in LMP3 for Andretti Autosport.

IndyCar veteran Oliver Askew will be the team’s third driver.

Marco Andretti stepped away from racing full time in the NTT IndyCar Series this year after 15 seasons. He finished 19th in the 105th Indy 500, which is expected to be his only start in 2021.

Andretti has a handful of sports car starts, most recently in the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona (in the former NASCAR Grand-Am Series). Jarett Andretii, son of the late John Andretti, made his LMP3 debut for the team last month at Mid-Ohio

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Watkins Glen and sports cars,” Marco Andretti said in a release. “I know John really loved driving with family, so I am happy Jarett and I can continue that part for him.”

Said his father, Michael, the chairman and CEO of Andretti Autosport: “I’m so proud to see Jarett and Marco coming together to co-drive at Watkins Glen. Racing has always been a family affair for us, but it was especially important to John, and it’s been a goal of ours to get them in a car together. I’m just glad that this opportunity worked out for Marco to come on board for the first endurance race of the season.”

Marco Andretti also will be racing in the SRX Series, which begins this Saturday.

“Obviously it is very special for me and my whole family that I will be racing with Marco at Watkins Glen,” Jarett Andretti said. “The Glen has been great to us in the past, I am excited to learn from Marco and have him join Oliver and I for our first endurance race this season.”

The race at the Glen will be broadcast live via Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold, starting at 10:35 a.m. ET on June 27 with delayed coverage on NBCSN at 7 p.m. ET.

Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.

Seattle Supercross numbers — *Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports*

For the fifth time in 10 rounds. Sexton, Webb, and Eli Tomac shared the podium in Detroit. Between them, the trio has taken 23 podiums, leaving only seven for the remainder of the field. Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia have two each with Aaron Plessinger scoring the other.

Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.

Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.

Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.

The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.

In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.

Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.

Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.

Last Five Seattle Winners

450s
2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto

250s
2022: Hunter Lawrence
2019: Dylan Ferrandis
2018: Aaron Plessinger
2017: Aaron Plessinger
2014: Cole Seely

By the Numbers

Detroit
Indianapolis
Daytona
Arlington
Oakland
Tampa
Houston
Anaheim 2
San Diego

More SuperMotocross coverage

How to Watch Seattle Supercross
Dylan Ferrandis may return before SX finale
SMX develops “Leader Lights”
Power Rankings after Detroit
Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan
Results and points after Detroit
Chase Sexton wins in Detroit, penalized seven points

Marco Andretti will team with Jarett Andretti in family team’s LMP3 car at Watkins Glen

Seattle Supercross by the numbers: Three riders separated by 17 points

Read more about SuperMotocross