Daytona is the first step in Marco Andretti’s stock-car education: ‘I just want to do it the right way’

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Marco Andretti stood in the ARCA Menards Series garage Thursday at Daytona International Speedway after climbing from his No. 17 Group 1001 Chevrolet. He took a long look at the scoreboard.

The 36-year-old from Nazareth, Pennsylvania set the fastest time in the lone practice session of the week for Saturday’s Daytona ARCA 200, the opening race of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series season. It marked a good start to what’s going to be a season full of new experiences for the 2020 Indianapolis 500 polesitter.

Thursday’s practice session provided Andretti an opportunity to practice drafting in a pack ahead of Friday’s group qualifying session, something unique to the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona.

“I felt like that was a really good lap,” Andretti said. “I wanted to feel my own timing leaving the gap and closing the gap. I wanted to go by my own timing, and I’m glad that it replicated with a fast lap.”

RELATED: Practice results for the Daytona ARCA 200

The Daytona ARCA 200 is one of 14 ARCA platform events Andretti is scheduled to enter in 2024 as part of a 21-race schedule that includes seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.

Andretti, the grandson of racing legend and 1967 Daytona 500 winner Mario Andretti and son of IndyCar team owner Michael Andretti, could have gone straight to the NASCAR Cup Series rather than race in ARCA or the Truck Series.

But that’s not the way Andretti wants to do it.

“I want to try to excel in a different part of our sport,” Andretti said. “Something that to me is apples-to-oranges different. I think a lot of guys, they force themselves to get sponsorship and go right to the top of this sport. I respect how different it is and how talented everybody is on the way up.

“I just want to do it the right way and kind of earn my stripes.”

Racing at Daytona, while similar in many ways to the racing Andretti has experienced at tracks like Indianapolis Motor Speedway or California’s Auto Club Speedway, is still vastly different from anything he’s experienced.

One prime example is the speed differential. When Andretti won the pole for the Indy 500 in 2020, his average speed was 231.068 mph. His fastest lap Thursday at Daytona was 185.185 mph, nearly a full 50 mph slower.

Andretti said that, despite the difference in speed, his Cook Racing Technologies No. 17 didn’t feel slower.

“I think it doesn’t feel slower because you’re not as locked down,” Andretti said. “The one thing I’m really not used to is how much movement these cars have at those speeds. That makes it feel faster because you’re moving around a lot more. I’m not used to bumping, either. That to me is a little unnerving, especially because I don’t know who people are, the trust level, and stuff like that has to come.

“But other than that, I think the drafting will come somewhat natural.”

Once he gets through Daytona, Andretti’s schedule includes a variety of tracks he’s never seen, including Dover Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Bristol Motor Speedway.

He’s looking forward to tackling each new track, but he’s also looking forward to a few familiar venues, including the road courses at Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway.

“I’m really optimistic about a lot of these races,” Andretti said. “The road courses I think we should be, hopefully, the guy to beat immediately. I’m looking forward to Dover. I want that monster trophy. A lot of the staple stock-car events.

“I’ve been to like the Glen and all the road courses. It’d be cool to win at Sonoma, because I’ve won in everything I’ve driven there.”

Andretti’s experienced enough to know not to put much stock in a fast lap in practice at Daytona. Instead, he’s focused on Friday’s group qualifying session and surviving Saturday’s Daytona ARCA 200.

He would consider that a successful Daytona debut.

“It’s hard. You have to be with the right guys [in group qualifying],” Andretti said. “It was perfect having the help from behind while at the same time closing up on the guys ahead. That’s what I tried to orchestrate.

“It worked out today, hopefully it works out tomorrow.”