Franchitti, Canadian ClubÂ® Return

**O&A Virus** · 3rd January 2007, 17:54

FRANCHITTI, CANADIAN CLUB® RETURN
WITH ANDRETTI GREEN RACING FOR 2007 SEASON

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Jan. 3, 2007) Andretti Green Racing, the winningest team in Indy Racing League history, has announced that Dario Franchitti will return for the 2007 season. Franchitti will return to the IndyCar Series with major sponsor Canadian Club® Canadian whisky in the #27 entry. Canadian Club, in its second season of partnership with AGR, will also be an associate sponsor on AGR's IndyCar Series entries driven by Tony Kanaan and Danica Patrick.

Franchitti will be one of the team's four full-time drivers in the IndyCar Series. He will also team with Bryan Herta and his brother, Marino Franchitti, in the XM Satellite Radio-sponsored Acura-powered Courage as AGR ventures into the American Le Mans Series LMP2 class in 2007.

Franchitti, who owns four IndyCar Series victories and three poles, is the winningest British driver in American open-wheel history. He has 14 victories and 14 pole positions in his open-wheel career. This will be Franchitti's 10th season involved with the Andretti Green family. He spent five seasons with Team Green before joining Andretti Green Racing in 2003.

This will be the second season for Canadian Club's involvement in the IndyCar Series after the brand joined AGR at the 2006 Indianapolis 500 and for the remaining races of the 2006 schedule. A member of the Beam Global Spirits & Wine family, Canadian Club is one of the largest and most prominent Canadian whisky brands in the world. The brand features Canadian Club 6-year old, Canadian Club Reserve, Canadian Club Sherry Cask and Canadian Club Classic® 12.

The season-opening race on the IndyCar Series schedule is Saturday, March 24, from Homestead-Miami Speedway. Franchitti can also expect to see some time in the #26 XM Satellite Radio ALMS car at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the first event on the 2007 ALMS schedule. Canadian Club will also be an associate sponsor of the #26 XM Satellite Radio ALMS car.

**O&A Virus** · 3rd January 2007, 17:55

New paint scheme too...

http://www.indycar.com/

**grungex** · 3rd January 2007, 22:36

Does this mean Klein Tools is a goner?

**O&A Virus** · 4th January 2007, 13:06

Yep...gone. Apparently issues with company ownership. Vontage is stepping up it appears.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 4th January 2007, 19:37

Too bad Canadian Club wasn't sponsoring a car with a CANADIAN driver in the seat. Oh yes, I forgot, Canadian companies pay little attention to Canadian drivers looking for rides...even really good ones.

**grungex** · 4th January 2007, 20:59

Canadian Club is just another Jim Beam brand. I doubt Canada has anything to do with this, the company is based in Deerfield, Illinois. Since Jim Beam is already a sponsor for this team, this is a net loss for AGR, since Klein Tools is no longer a primary.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 5th January 2007, 06:54

Grungex, Canadian Club is made in Windsor Ontario, in a suburb named Walkerville. Hiram Walker Distillery is as far as I know a Canadian company but maybe there is now an American parent.

It is a private peev of mine that Canadian companies are reluctant to back racers to any great degree. Canadian companies will sponsor events or whole series, but backing one guy and making him a star is just not their forte. IF you say they are out of Illinois now, well, my argument is toast..lol

**grungex** · 5th January 2007, 16:02

I agree with you 100% about the Canadian company issue. I'm just pointing out that this particular deal is clearly an extension of AGR's existing Jim Beam deal, and is probably adding nothing insofar as actual additional sponsorship funding goes.

**Davedigler2004** · 5th January 2007, 16:16

You raise a good point. How many Americans would be racing in open wheel today if sponsors "forced" teams to have American drivers? Just curious....

**Mark in Oshawa** · 6th January 2007, 05:51

Dave, sponsors do often force teams to take guys if the driver is the one bringing the sponsor. What has hurt American drivers is the haven't been able to get sponsors to take to Champ car. Whereas, if they said I want to run NASCAR, the phone calls get returned....