Following his ‘crash-ending’ 2023 Truck Series campaign with Spire, Marco Andretti is back in action with Roper Racing for the 2024 edition. The XPEL 225 on Saturday morning at COTA marked his debut with the team.
However, Marco Andretti put forth the ‘highlight reel’ of the XPEL 225 with a shocking and dangerous drive in his first race.
Watch: Marco Andretti’s rear axle fall off in NASCAR event
Marco Andretti, who is the former SRX Series champion, crashed his first start to the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in just few moments after the race started. Driving for Roper Racing, Andretti left the Circuit of the Americas early on Saturday morning, as he saw his No. 04 Chevy’s rear axle split off suddenly.
This dangerous incident took place when he spun rapidly at Turn 11, and slid to a break in the racing surface, while the rear axle ran away from the track. The NASCAR officials immediately showed the red flag to alert the drivers and let the safety crews remove the rear axle of Andretti’s truck. The red flag was displayed for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
At the end of the day, Marco Andretti left the COTA track with a 31-spot finish. This ‘wild and thrilling’ moment came in Andretti’s third start since his return to stock car racing for the 2024 edition.
Marco Andretti returns to stock car racing in 2024
On January, Marco Andretti, who was a part-timer in the NTT IndyCar Series, announced that he would continue his stock car racing endeavors in the 2024 season. He stated that he would take on a part-time role in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series with Cook Racing Technologies in a partnership with Roper Racing.
In a personal post on X (formerly Twitter), he announced his comeback to stock car racing, and expressed his excitement to be back on the tracks. “I’m really happy with the program we’ve put in place for my racing schedule in 2024,” Andretti wrote in the post.
Andretti expressed his approval of the racing plan, pointing out its combination of races in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which would offer him substantial track time. He mentioned the importance of gaining experience in stock cars and acknowledged the talent present in various stock car series. Andretti also insisted that his intention is to approach the transition with respect and integrity, preferring not to advance directly to the top levels of stock car racing solely based on his achievements in IndyCar and SRX.
“I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun with Bruce [Cook] and the team. I’m confident that we can be pretty competitive right out of the gate,” he concluded, thanking Bruce Cook.
Andretti will compete in 21 races in his 2024 schedule: 14 races in the ARCA Menards Series, and at least 7 races in the Truck Series with Roper Racing’s No. 04 truck.
Adding spice to his already jam-packed NASCAR schedule, the 37-year-old is also expected to rev his engines to qualify for May’s Indianapolis 500, which he has competed in since 2006.
Marco Andretti will now take on the Dover Motor Speedway with his #17 Chevrolet on 26th April for the 2024 ARCA Menards Series.
Will Andretti pull off his rear axle at the ARCA Menards’ race as well? Or will he run off with the pole position at Dover? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
