Motor Racing: Brits to Take on Indycar

Dario Franchitti returns to the Indycar cockpit this weekend at the start of a journey which he hopes will see his name illuminated in motor racing history.

He is back, after a lengthy injury, for the start of the Indy Racing League series at Miami's Homestead oval on Sunday. He remains set on becoming only the third British driver to win the United States' most famous motor race - the Indianapolis 500.

And the 30-year-old Scot will not be short of company from this side of the Atlantic. Whereas only David Coulthard and Jenson Button are flying the British flag in formula one this season, there could be as many as five drivers from the UK competing in the Indycar series.

Darren Manning, Dan Wheldon, Mark Taylor and possibly Ben Collins will line up alongside Franchitti, who missed most of last season because of back injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident near Edinburgh. Now, fully recovered and raring to go, he wants to follow the legendary Jim Clark and Graham Hill and become an Indy 500 winner.

"To say that I am eager to get going again would be a huge understatement," he said. "My recovery went very well and I couldn't wait to get back in a car for the pre-season tests. I am working very hard to regain my fitness, and I feel like I'm a bit ahead of schedule."

One of the most glamorous IRL imports - he is married to the actress Ashley Judd - Franchitti entered the category last year after Andretti Green Racing switched from the struggling rival Cart series. He has earned about $6m (£3.2m) a year since dead-heating on points with Juan Pablo Montoya for the 1999 Cart championship only for the Colombian to take the title with more race victories.

His prominence on the Indy scene has led the IRL to embrace other British drivers enthusiastically. Manning will drive a GForce-Toyota for the Target Ganassi team and the highly rated Taylor takes over the Panther Racing Dallara-Cosworth vacated by last year's IRL champion Sam Hornish, who has switched to the Penske squad, winners of the Indy 500 for the past three years.

Taylor, a former British formula three front runner, decided that his career development would be best served by moving to the US. He starred in last year's Infiniti pro series, the key IRL feeder series.

"That was a real eye-opener," he said. "At my first test I suddenly realised these things were running F3-type speeds without having the grass beside you and there just seemed to be so many cars around and, of course, so much slipstreaming. It really set me up for the IRL and so when I had my first test in the Dallara I felt a lot more confident."

He will do well if he can emulate Wheldon's feat last season in being named the IRL rookie of the year. And Wheldon still has lots to learn, as he himself recognises. "I kind of underestimated how important experience was in this series," he said, "especially when you're up against such good-quality drivers."

The challenge provided by Indy racing is certainly different from that of formula one. Racing on the ovals, the drivers have to cope with sustained 180mph lap speeds and punishing G-forces. In particular, it calls for a high degree of discipline and a mutual respect between rivals which is not always apparent among their formula one contemporaries.

This is an environment radically different from formula one with the manicured run-off areas which act as a safety net when grand prix drivers make a slip. If something goes wrong on one of the Indycar ovals, the best you can hope for is that your car will spin away from the wall and down the banking.

"When you turn a corner and all of a sudden you have three, four, maybe even five times the force of gravity pushing against your body," Franchitti explained, "it's literally trying to push you through the side of your car."

The IRL is dangerous, potentially very dangerous indeed. Last year several drivers were injured but the death of Tony Renna while testing at Indianapolis, following on from his rival Kenny Brack's massive accident in the 2003 series finale at Texas motor speedway which left him with multiple injuries, forced the authorities to act in much the same way as rule changes to slow formula one cars were imposed in the wake of Ayrton Senna's fatal accident at Imola 10 years ago.

These rule changes include the reduction in engine capacity from 3.5 to three litres in time for the Indy 500 at the end of May. Larger side pods, and fuel tanks reduced in capacity from 35 to 30 gallons, have also been introduced.

Yet oval racing is deeply ingrained within the North American motorsports psyche. Above-average risk goes with the badge and is taken for granted.

This is a raw and macho racing environment which harks back to the days when heroes such as AJ Foyt and Parnelli Jones hurled their rorty front-engined Watson roadsters through the turns at Indianapolis wearing short-sleeved sports shirts.

"You are never going to be able to get rid of 100% of the danger," said Michael Andretti, who retired from driving after failing to win last year's Indy 500 and is now co-owner of the Andretti Green team, in whose Dallara-Hondas Franchitti and Wheldon will both be competing this season.

"All you can do is look at the data and try to help. Over the years the cars have become so much safer, but this is a dangerous sport and always will be, until the end of time."

DARIO FRANCHITTI

Age 30

Raced formula three in the United Kingdom in 1994 before switching to DTM saloon car series with Mercedes. Switched to Cart in 1997 and scored 10 wins before transferring full-time to the Indy Racing League last season. The Scot tested Jaguar's formula one car inconclusively in 2000, but preferred to pursue his career in the United States.

DARREN MANNING

Age 28

Having graduated through karting to formula Ford, Manning, pictured below, then progressed to formula three, winning the 1996 British grand prix support race. Won 1999 all-Japan formula three championship, then served as BAR-Honda's formula one test driver in 2001 and 2002. Into IRL with Panther racing team last year.

DAN WHELDON

Age 25

Another kart-racing teenager, Wheldon was runner-up in the 1996 Vauxhall junior single-seat series, then switched to US, winning national FF2000 title in 1999. Second in 2001 Indy Lights series (Cart feeder championship) and made his IRL debut last season, when he escaped a spectacular roll during the Indy 500.

MARK TAYLOR

Age 26

Second in 2000 British formula Ford championship, then two promising seasons in formula three before moving to US rather than trying formula 3000. Won 2003 Infiniti pro series, regarded as the IRL junior league, at his first attempt.

BEN COLLINS

Age 28

Won the Ascar championship for US-style stock saloon cars last year. Will compete in the IRL this season provided a sponsorship agreement with the British Tourism Board is concluded and the team can secure a supply of engines.