Marino Franchitti At Sebring - Sport

Marino Franchitti At Sebring - Sport*You know the last name. This is the other racer from Scotland's contribution to American motorsport. Marino is young, enthusiastic, driven and, to top it all, has kept a vivid sense of humor. After learning that the second-place Acura had been disqualified, he told me he was going over to their truck to trade his third-place trophy for theirs. Now that's a racer.ec: Let's start with the most obvious topic, the major differences between your ride last year in an Acura-powered LMP2 to this season's Porsche RS Spyder. And don't get all politically correct on us.MF: I'm going to have to, I'm afraid. It's not right to compare two cars that are very different this year-in the case of the Acura, completely. It wouldn't be a valid comparison.ec: The Porsche must feel more like a complete car, as the tub, driveline and motor are all from one place. Does that translate into a more secure feeling as far as driveability is concerned?MF: I think you're underestimating the job Acura has done and what they've achieved with a chassis that isn't their own. They'll be formidable opponents this season, especially at certain types of tracks. Porsche is amazing at providing a customer team like Dyson, not only with a complete and refined package in order to go racing, but also support that makes you feel like a true partner. It really is the benchmark, I guess that's why so many other marques' customer programs follow the lines of Porsche so closely.ec: You appeared more confident in the Porsche at Sebring than in most of your drives last year in the Acura. Is that simply getting a season under you in the LMP2 class?MF: I certainly didn't feel that way. Last season, I started every race in which I competed in the Acura and, mechanical issues aside, I came into the pits in the top three in nearly every race. There were some mishaps, but I used them as positives and learned from every good and bad experience. Some starts last season showed the confidence I had. Or at least I hope they did. Of course, the experience gained last year also helped to improve me hugely as a driver. I had never before been part of the development of a car from the word go, through to it being a race winner. Technically, I grew and learned a huge amount.ec: Last year, you had a great drive going at St. Pete and then had a coming-together with another prototype, which didn't appear to be your doing. How do you make the adjustment from a proper circuit with a runoff area to the temporary walls of a street track? This has to play a major part on how you attempt a pass.MF: I was taken out by a car attempting a pass that was hugely optimistic, to say the least. The fact that his team boss apologized to me at the next race says it all. For me, I love the challenge of street circuits where any mistake is severely punished. I think if you're only 'attempting' a pass, then you shouldn't be making it in the first place. But passes happen differently on street tracks. You need to be sure you can make the pass cleanly and be ahead by corner exit, as there is rarely room for two cars later in the turn on street tracks.ec: You've had a lot of success in GT cars, especially Porsches. What about the jump from GT to prototype? Now you avoid traffic and pass it, whereas before you were the traffic.MF: I was lucky that the step up to prototypes was something I got to experience early, the second year, in my sports car career. The first time was 2002 in the Phoenix Grand Am race in an SRPII Lola. I had minimal testing, but managed to get pole position, fastest lap, and-with my teammate, Nic Jonsson-won the race. So I found driving a prototype very natural and the increased downforce seems to suit me.I feel fortunate to have driven GT cars and have the understanding of how difficult it is sharing the track with prototypes. It's so hard driving a GT car flat out, you need to use all the track while trying to work out how you can help the LMPs to pass you and lose the least amount of time in the process for both. A lot of prototype guys don't have a clue what you go through as a GT driver, so it's a big bonus for me and I find I get through traffic better because of it.The game's changing. As the organizers continue to give us smaller and smaller restrictors in the prototypes, it becomes harder to pass GT cars, especially the Corvettes and Aston GT1s, on the straights. The GT cars have unbelievable mechanical grip these days, so in slow corners they're nearly as fast as we are. It's not easy getting by them, but again, I love that part of sports car racing and I work hard at giving the GT guys respect and hope they give it back.ec: Exiting turn one at Sebring and setting yourself up for two, how would you approach it in a GT car during the race compared to the Spyder? MF: Not much differently. The nimbleness of the LMP allows you to pick and choose how you approach the braking area of turn two after the exit of turn one and I've noticed GT cars trying to do the same. But all that did from my perspective was cause some LMP drivers to get frustrated with GT cars sweeping in front of them and take away what is a good passing opportunity that would lose minimum time for both. Then again, I haven't driven the new generation of GT cars at Sebring, so maybe it's something that gains lap time for them.ec: The Dyson team has been around for a long time and are well known as solid competitors who keep their sense of humor. How did this gig come about?MF: They're such a great bunch and I'm loving being part of the team. I still get a bit of a surprise when I look in the mirror and see myself in their legendary team colors. They have such a great family atmosphere.On getting the ride, it was just a case at the end of last season of seeing what opportunities were available in the LMP class and I had always had good rapport with the Dyson team. So as their plans came together, we started to talk more seriously. In the end, it was an easy deal. It was a new experience for me, having more than one good option on the table for this year, but this always felt right. I knew they had been working closely with Porsche in choosing a new driver and I've been made to feel very welcome by everyone involved.ec: Take us through a typical race lap at Sebring during one of your stints-and don't forget the traffic.MF: Typical race laps don't exist. Every lap is unique in some way and I really enjoy that. For me, the tough part of a lap of Sebring is catching slower cars in the faster corners-turns 1, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17-as you're trying not to lose too much momentum. A huge amount of lap time is won and lost here. Forward thinking is what keeps the loss to a minimum and your average lap time for the stint looking good. In the slower corners, I find it's much easier to pass cars in a consistent manner if you catch them on entry then out-brake them. If not, try and carry the momentum through the turn and get a run at them on corner exit.ec: The ALMS schedule is a good mix of circuits. Which ones are your favorites, in order of preference?MF: Wow, tough one. OK, here goes... Mosport, Road America, St. Petersburg, Mid Ohio, Road Atlanta, Salt Lake City. I love all the tracks, just those more than the others.ec: How much testing time did you have in the Porsche Spyder? Race conditions are always far more difficult than a test. Do you come to the track on race day in any particular mindset? Is there a standard routine you follow? Or is it just get in, belts on and nail it? MF: Not a huge amount, but enough that I knew which button and switch did what. I did the ALMS winter test, which lasts three days, but we had very few on-track sessions and then the test sessions in race week. Of course race day feels different, but each time I drive the car, practice or race, I prepare the same way. I do a lot of stretching and have my own mind management routine. It's more than 'jump in and nail it' for me.ec: It's a cliche, but as you have an older brother who also races with some success, what goals would you like to achieve, on the track and off? MF: I don't see what my brother's achievements have to do with what I want to achieve. Our careers have traveled different roads. First, I'd love to win the ALMS championship. For me, I got into sports cars to compete and win at Le Mans. It's been frustrating to only have one start at Le Mans so far in my career, but I think the financial state of the world has had a lot to do with that.That aside, I want to go out on that podium at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and look over the sea of people and lift up that legendary trophy. I've got an amazing picture in my mind when I think of that and I'll keep giving my all until I can make it a reality.ec: Had enough of those 'Marino cleaning up with a Dyson vacuum cleaner' jokes?MF: No chance. Everyone thinks they're the first one to come up with it. Who am I to burst their bubble? Photo Gallery: Marino Franchitti - Porsche RS Spyder - European Car MagazineRead More | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us