Andretti: Baltimore Grand Prix course a ‘character-builder’

Marco Andretti

Driver Marco Andretti, a member of IndyCar’s most famous family, called the Grand Prix of Baltimore course a “character-builder" during a media visit Thursday.

Andretti was in town to meet the media and share his thoughts about the downtown street course where he and other drivers will race next month in the Grand Prix of Baltimore.

The 2-mile track. which weaves its way through downtown, presents plenty of challenges to keep drivers on their toes, said Andretti.

There aren’t many courses where drivers have to cross railroad tracks, as they do on Pratt Street, Andretti said. And the chicane — the series of short, quick turns built into the course to slow drivers down so they don’t jump the tracks at 170 miles an hour — is another intriguing feature of a course Andretti calls “a pretty physical street course,"

“I look at that stuff as a character-builder," said Andretti, who is one of IndyCar’s rising stars. He’s currently ranked fourth in the IZOD IndyCar standings with five top-five finishes out of 14 races so far this season.

Andretti, 26, is part of racing royalty. His grandfather, Mario, is one of the sports biggest names. His father, Michael, is a longtime driver and racing team owner, and runs Andretti Sports Marketing, which is helping organize the Grand Prix of Baltimore.

Marco Andretti has driven the race its first two years. He will be back again to race on Sept. 1 along with Andretti Autosport teammates James Hinchcliffe, E.J. Viso and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who won last year’s Grand Prix of Baltimore. Baltimore Business Journal