Franchitti, Di Grassi Complete Mazda Lineup at Petit Le Mans

Photo: IMSA/Audi

Marino Franchitti and Lucas di Grassi will complete Mazda Team Joest’s lineup for next weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans, as part of a revised driving squad for both of the team’s Mazda RT24-Ps.

Confirmed in the release of the entry list for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale, Franchitti subs for Harry Tincknell in the No. 55 Mazda DPi, due to the Englishman’s FIA World Endurance Championship commitments at Fuji Speedway.

Spencer Pigot completes the lineup in the car alongside Jonathan Bomarito and Franchitti, who makes his first WeatherTech Championship start since the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen last year with the SpeedSource-run Mazda operation.

Franchitti tested with the team last month at Road Atlanta, in preparation for the ten-hour enduro.

Former Audi LMP1 factory driver di Grassi, meanwhile, will reunite with Team Joest, while making his first-ever WeatherTech Championship start.

The 2016/17 ABB FIA Formula E champion, who drives for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler in the all-electric championship, replaces fellow works Audi driver Rene Rast in the No. 77 Mazda DPi alongside Oliver Jarvis and Tristan Nunez.

Rast is unavailable next weekend due to the DTM season finale in Hockenheim.

The German squad will be seeking its elusive first win with the DPi package after nearly pulling off the victory last time out at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John