Andrettis back at Indy

The Andretti family name will return to the Indianapolis 500 driver line-up this year — with Michael and son Marco competing.

Michael Andretti retired from driving after the 2003 Judy 500 and watched from the sidelines as Dan Wheldon won the ’05 race for his team, Andretti Green Racing.

But he is returning to the cockpit of a Dallara-Honda for America’s biggest race this May, when he will be joined by his son at AGR. Marco Andretti is replacing 2005 champ Dan Wheldon for the entire ’06 IRL IndyCar season after the Brit made a surprise move to Chip Ganassi Racing. The 18-year-old grandson of Mario has had some success in the Infiniti Pro Series, the IRL’s feeder category, but that has been against small fields of largely mediocre opposition.

Marco’s IRL programme is against the advice of family patriarch Mario, who believes that the best way for him to achieve his Formula One ambition is to race in Europe.

The teenaged Andretti will join 2004 IRL champ Tony Kanaan, Briton Dario Franchitti and US veteran Bryan Herta in the AGR team.