MIPS: Mansell to partner Andretti on road courses.
Two famous motorsport names will be 'reunited' this weekend, as Britain's Scott Mansell partners Marco Andretti in a pair of Dave McMillan-run Menards Infiniti Pro Series entries at Infineon Raceway.
The pairing, in name at least, recalls the crack Newman-Haas CART squad of the early 1990s but, while Andretti can at least draw lineage from grandfather Mario, 19-year old Mansell has little to connect him to 1993 Champ Car title winner Nigel, other than his place of birth.
Two famous motorsport names will be 'reunited' this weekend, as Britain's Scott Mansell partners Marco Andretti in a pair of Dave McMillan-run Menards Infiniti Pro Series entries at Infineon Raceway.
The pairing, in name at least, recalls the crack Newman-Haas CART squad of the early 1990s but, while Andretti can at least draw lineage from grandfather Mario, 19-year old Mansell has little to connect him to 1993 Champ Car title winner Nigel, other than his place of birth.
A finalist in the BRDC Autosport McLaren Young Driver of the Year Award in 2004, Birmingham-born Mansell has followed something of an unorthodox route up the motorsport ladder, having come to prominence in the UK-based EuroBOSS series for out-moded Formula One machinery, where he took four victories and seven pole positions in eight races at the wheel of an ex-Michael Schumacher Benetton. He established five outright circuit lap records during the season and became the youngest driver to ever win a race and a championship in an F1 car.
Since then, Mansell has turened his sights on cracking 'modern' F1, but could not raise the finances for a full season in the new GP2 Series. Unwilling to squander his sponsorship on a lesser series, he has now taken the opportunity to try two MIPS road course events - at Infineon and Watkins Glen - in the #22 Dave McMillan Racing Dallara alongside Andretti, who runs under the Andretti Green Racing banner.
"I am really happy to have been given this opportunity, and I am really looking forward to racing in the USA, especially with Marco," Mansell said, "I was really impressed with the Dave McMillan team at the recent shakedown test, and I am relishing the prospect of racing against competitors in equal machinery."
McMillan has already shown that he can provide a winning car, with Andretti excelling at St Petersburg in particular, and the veteran engineer sees no reason why his latest charge cannot be competitive.
"I think Scott will be very, very tough," the Kiwi said, "Scott went to Michigan to watch the IndyCar Series in July and got a taste for it."
