NOV 9th : CHENGDU-RACE DAY Coming from a starting position of 15th, Marco Andretti moved up seven places to take the checkered in eighth place for Team USA at the Chengdu International Circuit.

Andretti, who finished 15th in the morning's sprint race, quickly made up ground in the feature race. By lap 16, Andretti was into the top 10 in the ninth position. When the leaders came in to pit on lap 16, Team USA moved into the top three. Andretti was back into eighth when the final yellow came out on lap 38 where he remained for the final 12 laps of the race.

Portugal claimed the feature race victory. Ireland, who won the sprint race, was followed by Great Britain, Switzerland and Malaysia rounded out the feature race top five.
Andretti's eighth place finished scored another three points for Team USA, who is now in 12th place in the championship standings.

The next A1GP World Cup of Motorsport event is scheduled for Sepang, Malaysia, Nov. 21-23. Practice is slated for Nov. 21, qualifying for Nov. 22 and race day takes place Nov. 23. For more information, please visit www.a1gp.com.

Marco Andretti, Andretti Green Racing, Team USA:
"The weekend started out with our bad luck in qualifying, which carried over to race day as it turned out to be a track position race. Unfortunately, it was very hard to pass here and making it to the end with no mistakes was what mattered. The results weren't bad considering how new we are to the series and the little experience we have with the car. I am definitely optimistic about the future, we have our work cut out to close the gap but I think it's possible."

CHENGDU-FIRST DAY PRACTICE Third generation racer Marco Andretti had his first experience of A1GP when he was the first driver out onto China’s Chengdu International Circuit in A1 Team USA’s car, and he liked what he saw, apart from the dust…

“They were certainly really difficult circumstances when I first went out. If it wasn’t dusty at any point around the lap, it was wet,” the 21-year-old son of Michael and grandson of 1978 World Champion Mario, told A1GP.com, talking of several points on the circuit where natural springs weep out through the surface.

Andretti finished the day in eighth place for the USA, eight tenths of a second behind pace-setting Neel Jani, driving for Switzerland.

“From my short initial experience of the car, though, I can tell that it will be really nice to drive when we find the sweet spot.

“The steering is heavy because there’s no power steering, but it’s like an Indycar as there is no traction control. Weirdly, the carbon brakes are more like those I’ve used on our American Le Mans Series sportscar.

“The Chengdu circuit is tough and our car is still a bit harsh over the bumps and this, obviously, affects braking for which you need as much grip as you can get. But, compared to some of the street circuits we’re used to racing on in the US, this is fine.

“Actually, my last race was two weeks ago in Australia, at Surfers Paradise, and that’s a rough ride as you have to use the kerbs there for a quick lap and they’re massive.”

Does Marco have a tip as to where the time can be found for a really quick lap here at Chengdu?

“Yes, the place to make up time is the esses after Turn 5. If you can get your car to hold the line there, you should be able to make up time on the others. I’m looking forward to the racing on Sunday, though, because there’s not an enormous amount that you can do to these cars in terms of set-up changes, so we’re sure to get some close racing.”

"Getting to race in China is something I'm really looking forward to. Although the A1GP program is new to Andretti Green, I thought that the crew did a great job with the first race. They had to put in a lot of effort just to get on track and they were able to get the car up to speed rather quickly. I know there is a possibility that the weather could add another element to the race and that should only make the race more challenging for the drivers and more entertaining for the fans." Marco Andretti

"I was very impressed with the efforts of the A1GP organizers and am sure the event at China will be more of the same. We're pleased that Marco is getting the chance to drive a different car than what he is used to. The team has worked hard to make this a successful venture from the very start and I expect Marco to be quick and learn a lot driving the A1GP car." Michael Andretti, co-owner, Andretti Green / Team USA

Acura's battle for the 2008 American Le Mans Series LMP2 class titles in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta ended Saturday in a mass of crash damage after the 1,000-mile endurance classic in the final hour of competition.

The XM Acura, with Montagny, the Detroit winner, at the controls, looked to be in a position to win the LMP2 class. However, Georges Forgeois spun his Lola entering Turn 12, causing a massive crash that took out Montagny and Patrick Pilet. Montagny had charged from fourth to second and led briefly before his final pit stop. Marco said afterwards: "It was unfortunate. The XM Radio Acura was really good. We definitely had the best strategist behind us to put us in a really great position at the end. We had the car to win. It's a bummer."

Marco eighth in final Indycar Series race :
Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300
Marco completed the season with a solid finish at the Chicagoland Speedway. This placed him 7th in the 2008 Drivers Championship, just behind teammate Danica Patrick. The #26 car struggled a little during parts of the race, but came back with a top 10 finish. Marco finishes the year 7th in championship points. Marco led more laps in 2008 than in 2006 and 2007 combined. His 330 laps led rank fourth in 2008. Congratulations to Scott Dixon on winning his second Indy Car Series title, to Marco's AGR teammate, Hideki Mutoh, for being named the 2008 Bombardier Rookie of the Year and AGR driver Raphael Matos on winning the Firestone Indy Lights championship.

Earlier Marco Andretti, driver of the NYSE car, had qualified sixth for Sunday’s PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300. He qualified with a four-lap average speed of 215.064 miles per hour for the final event of the 2008 IndyCar Series season.

He went into the race confident: "The qualifying run was pretty easy. We never really worked on the qualifying setup today so the run went a little bit better than we thought it would. We spent most of the practice time focusing on the race car. We still have some decisions to make over night and hopefully we make the right ones. It would be nice for the NYSE team to finish strong, especially after the year we’ve had. We’ve been right there but unable to capitalize so it would be nice to win tomorrow."

Meijer driver Marco Andretti finished 18th at the temporary street circuit at Belle Isle on Sunday. Andretti suffered a gear failure with less than 10 laps remaining in the event. "This was just a disappointing weekend for us. We lost second gear near the end of the race and that ended our day early. I feel for the entire Meijer team. We have had terrible luck at this place."

Justin Wilson recorded the first IndyCar Series win of his career. He was followed by Helio Castroneves and Team 7-Eleven driver Tony Kanaan. Oriol Servia and Scott Dixon rounded out the top five.

Marco qualified 13th on the grid for the Detroit Indy Grand Prix at the Belle Isle Raceway on Saturday. LATEST PICS FROM DETROIT

"We weren't very good today and it was evident by looking at our times. The good news is we know what we need to do to make the Meijer car better. We have some time before qualifying tomorrow so hopefully we can find some speed." said Marco after Friday practice.

"Unfortunately we had terrible luck at Belle Isle last year. We qualified well and were quick most of the weekend so we were looking forward to the race. Our teammates were able to have good finishes last year so hopefully we can use some of their information and get the Meijer car into victory lane".

IMAGE GALLERIES FROM SONOMA

PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma:
Marco finished a disappointing 14th place in Sunday's race in California. Emphasis now moves to Detroit on Saturday for the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone.

"Unfortunately the first slow pit stop really broke the race for us. I just don't think it was a very good performance for us today. I was missing rear grip in the Blockbuster/STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS race car the whole day and that made things difficult." - Marco after the race

Star Wars Creator George Lucas Visits Sonoma IndyCar Race
Celebrated filmmaker George Lucas visited the Andretti Green Racing pits to view the graphics on Marco Andretti's No. 26 "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" entry.

Lucas, who lives in Modesto, Calif., is the creator of the epic Star Wars saga and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones. He's also a lifelong IndyCar racing fan.

"(Lucasfilm has) been hooked up (with AGR) for a while, and now we're doing this, and it's been a great relationship. The new movie is an animated feature that is sort of a precursor to a TV series that is coming out in the fall. It gets a lot of notoriety for the team. Especially with the Stars Wars brand and Indiana Jones, we already have more notoriety than we need. If we're going to give it to something, we might as well give it to racing. I've lived through the Andretti legends and now Marco is carrying that on." - GEORGE LUCAS

PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma:
Marco will make his third start at Infineon Raceway. He recorded his first IndyCar Series victory at Infineon in 2006 after starting second, becoming the youngest driver (19 years, five months, 14 days) at the time to win amajor open-wheel race when he took the checkered flag. At the 2007 event, Andretti was involved in an accident while competing for the lead. He is seventh in the IndyCar Series championship, only four points out of sixth place. Marco has lead 330 laps ranking him fourth in laps lead in 2008.

"I enjoy coming back to Infineon because it is a track where I have a really high level of confidence. I have a good feel for the track and have turned a ton of laps there in many different formulas. Thankfully we've had a lot of success in the past. Andretti Green always gives us good race cars there and I think the Blockbuster/STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS car will contend for a victory, for sure." Marco Andretti on the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix:

Marco unveils second Lucasfilm sponsorship.
For a few days in late August, the front lines of the upcoming animated adventure Star Wars: The Clone Wars will shift to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., and Andretti Green Racing driver Marco Andretti will lead his own army against the dark side of his IndyCar Series foes.

Andretti Green Racing, Blockbuster Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. are collaborating for the second time in 2008, this time in support of the upcoming release of the first-ever animated feature from Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Andretti's #26 IndyCar will feature a promotional design during the Grand Prix of Sonoma, which will be run Aug. 24 on the Infineon road course.

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Marco Andretti, driver of the #26 Meijer car, qualified ninth for
Saturday’s Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Andretti posted a four-lap average speed of 217.404 miles per hour during the qualifying session.

“My run was quite easy because there wasn’t a lot more to go from a downforce standpoint. Unfortunately we just didn’t have the speed today in qualifying. I’m confident that the Meijer car will do the tow as it showed today in practice. It will do a good time and we know we have a good race car.” - MARCO

The Meijer Indy 300 can be seen live on ESPN2 beginning at 6:30 p.m. (EDT).

Marco Andretti, driver of the #26 Blockbuster car, drove to a 17th-place finish at Saturday’s running of the Rexall Edmonton Indy. Scott Dixon won the race and was followed by Helio Castroneves and Justin Wilson.
Paul Tracy and Oriol Servia rounded out the top five.

Andretti was headed for a top-10 finish before two late-race incidents put him a lap down.

"This was a disappointing day for the Blockbuster team. It was a difficult race and not the finish we were looking for. There was tremendous fan support and this was a great event weekend so hopefully we’ll have a better result next year." Said Marco after the race.

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Marco at Mid-Ohio
Marco Andretti, driver of the #26 Blockbuster car, was collected in an accident on lap 42 and finished 25th at Sunday’s running of the Honda Indy 200. Ryan Briscoe recorded his second victory of the season. He was joined on the podium by Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon. Will Power and Oriol Servia finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Marco Andretti, #26 Blockbuster Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "There was just a lot of smoke in front of me and I knew someone was spinning. I had no idea which direction they were going and unfortunately the Blockbuster car got caught up in it. Obviously I’m the one who put myself in that position to begin with because of my mistake earlier in the race. The track went loose and it kept picking up front grip so no matter how many turns of front wing we took out, we were still loose. It’s just a disappointment."

Marco's Double headerday
Marco Andretti's double race day didn't last as long as he was hoping. A failure of the left front shock on the #26 car resulted in an early accident at the Nashville track at the weekend.

Andretti took his place in the No. 26 oso*fresh car on the grid at Nashville Superspeedway just shy of four hours after getting out of the Andretti Green Racing No. 26 XM Acura ARX-01b at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

He watched 197 laps of the Firestone Indy 200 from the team's pit stand after being involved in a Lap 3 incident exiting Turn 2 on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. Andretti's car, which was slotted 11th on the grid, suffered a left front shock failure, slid up the track and pinned the No. 6 Team Penske car driven by Ryan Briscoe against the SAFER Barrier.

"I feel bad for the oso*fresh team, but obviously for Briscoe, too," Andretti said. "I might have been able to save the car if he wasn't there. It was a long day, for sure, but I don't think that had anything to do with the incident. "

At Lime Rock Park, the AGR car was required to start from the rear of the field because Andretti did not turn any laps on July 11. Andretti completed 73 laps and was running eighth (one lap down) before handing the car to Franck Montagny under a full-course yellow at 3:10 p.m. (ET).

"It was a little disappointing on my run," said Andretti, who last raced at the facility in 2003 in Star Mazda. "My radio wasn't connected right and I couldn't hear the team for awhile. Then I was able to run pretty well through the traffic after fixing the radio. It's very tough to come from behind here. I had to drive through all of the GT cars."

The team finished fifth in the LMP2 class and sixth overall.

Click here for more race reports from 2008

MARCO HONORED
The National Italian American Hall of Fame honored Marco as its 2007 Athlete of the Year (for his outstanding rookie year achievements) on Saturday 3rd November. "This is really pretty special, as an athlete and a person of Italian heritage," Marco Andretti said. He is the great grandson of Italian immigrants, the late Alvice 'Gigi' and Rhina Andretti, with all four of his grandparents Italian-born.

For as long as he can remember he's had the 'Italian feeling.' "With my grandfather (Mario), how could you help it?" Marco said. "I can tell you I was going crazy when Ferrari won (the F1 championship). It was just for that reason. You can ask a couple of buddies who were watching the race (on TV) with me. I was jumping up and down. I had goose bumps because of that feeling."

ANDRETTI OFFICIAL ONLINE STORE
We thought you might like to see the great deals on Marco apparel, race gear and diecast models at the Andretti store.

Click here to see gift ideas and one-of-a-kind race collectables, like the 2007 autographed helmet that you see here.

New 2008 Andretti Racing hats and polo shirts are just some of the goods you can pick up.

CHENGDU SCHEDULE
Practice:
Friday, 07 Nov, 2008
Qualifying:
Saturday, 08 Nov, 2008
Race:
Sunday, 09 Nov, 2008
Sprint race:
11:00 AM (Local Time)
Feature race:
3:00 PM (Local Time)

In the off-season keep up with Marco and his activities on and off the track at our Fanzone.

Detroit, Mich.: During Auto Racing Day, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, IndyCar Series Driver Marco Andretti signs a tire brought in by a fan.



MARCO PODCAST
Interview "Just one of those years" Bridgestone Motorsport's latest podcast features exclusive interviews with Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti about their 2007 season.

Click here to download and MP3 of the show, or go to the Bridgestone Motorsport website to subscribe to the podcast. Marco said "In any profession, to overcome adversity is the toughest part. We learn so much about staying focused and staying with it the whole year if a little bit of luck swings my way we should be right up there again."