Michael Andretti in MotoAmerica?

John Burns
by John Burns

The Andrettis have always been motorcycle people across three generations; Mario and Freddie Spencer are fast friends, Michael has spun laps on Nicky Hayden’s RC51 Superbike, and Marco climbed into his Indy Car to spin laps with Danny Pedrosa’s Honda at last weekend’s Indy MotoGP.

Now, MotoAmerica.com reports Michael may be interested in adding a MotoAmerica team to his Andretti Autosport portfolio. Andretti was on hand for the Indy MotoAmerica round at the invitation of MotoAmerica’s Wayne Rainey, where he spent a lot of time nosing around the pits, in addition to handing out trophies on the Superbike/Superstock 1000 podium.

According to MotoAmerica, Andretti liked what he saw: “I think Wayne and the group have really turned this thing around,” he said. “I’m seriously looking to see if we can participate in the future.”

MotoAmerica’s inaugural season of racing has been great, anyway. With one round left, at New Jersey Motorsports Park September 11-13, Cameron Beaubier and Josh Hayes have eight wins apiece and are separated by 18 points. The big stumbling block remains a TV deal, without which it’s tough to attract the kind of sponsorship dollars that would really get US roadracing rolling again. Andretti participation would be a big step in that direction.

John Burns
John Burns

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