Franchitti eager to vie for fourth Indy 500 victory

3 wins going for 4

Dario Franchitti said he hadn’t felt the drive for a record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory until he arrived in Indianapolis today for a promotional visit.

Once he saw the 2013 race ticket of him holding up three fingers — one for each previous win — he knew the race was on.

Officially, Franchitti’s first opportunity to tie A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears comes May 26, but the journey is already under way with IndyCar Series testing. The first series race is March 24 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Helio Castroneves also will be seeking a fourth win at Indy, but Franchitti said it’s not a battle between the two of them. Everyone wants a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy.

“Whether it’s your third or your second or your first, we all want it the same," the Scotsman said. “We all start from scratch on race day."

Franchitti won his previous 500s in 2007, ’10 and ’12. Castroneves won in 2001, ’02 and ’09.

IMS opens for practice May 11. Indy Star