Franchitti to make comeback in 24-hour sportscar race

The Dubai 24 Hours will mark Franchitti's first competitive race in several years

IndyCar legend Dario Franchitti is set to return to competitive racing at next month’s Dubai 24 Hours, it has been announced.

The 52-year-old will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Team Parker on 17–18 January, marking his first competitive outing in a GT3 car.

Franchitti will share the cockpit of the #31 Mercedes-AMG with former World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff, Shaun Lynn and Max Lynn. Shaun and Max are the father and brother respectively of Alex Lynn, who currently competes as a Cadillac factory driver in the World Endurance Championship.

For Franchitti, the appearance brings his career full circle. He previously raced for Mercedes in the DTM before going on to build an exceptionally successful career in the United States, highlighted by four IndyCar titles and three Indianapolis 500 victories.

After his IndyCar career was cut short in 2013 following a serious accident, the Scotsman has primarily appeared at historic events such as the Goodwood Revival. He has also remained in the public eye through his work as a pundit and commentator for Formula E.

Although best known for his achievements in single-seaters, Franchitti also boasts significant endurance racing experience. Most notably, he won the 2008 Daytona 24 Hours outright with Chip Ganassi Racing, sharing a Riley prototype with Juan Pablo Montoya, Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett.

Franchitti's Mercedes-AMG GT3 will run a special ''Art Car' livery designed by Stefan Johansson, who has become a renowned artist following his Le Mans 24 Hours victory in 1997.

Team Parker Racing, led by team principal Stuart Parker, competed at the Dubai International Autodrome this year with a Bentley Continental GT3, but is set to switch to Mercedes machinery for the 2026 season.

A total of 73 cars are expected to take part in the 2026 edition of the Dubai 24 Hours, including 33 entries in the top-tier GT3 class.

The most recent running of the event, held at the start of 2025, was won by WRT, with Darren Leung, Ben Tuck, Max Hesse, Dan Harper and Al Faisal Al Zubair claiming victory in the #777 BMW M4 GT3 Evo. 

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- The Autosport.com Team

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