Andretti

As first reported on RPM2Night six weeks ago, Michael Andretti announced his plans to become a car owner and by purchasing the team he currently drives for in Championship Auto Racing Teams -- Team KOOL Green -- and possibly take it to the rival Indy Racing League.

At a news conference, Team Green owner Barry Green said Tuesday he was selling the team to his brother and Andretti.

The 39-year-old second-generation star, CART's all-time winner with 42 triumphs, will field a two-car effort in 2003 that may or may not include him. But the veteran who has led 398 laps at Indianapolis without making it to Victory Lane is expected to compete next May, if nothing else.

Andretti will be the team's majority owner and chief executive, with Barry Green remaining as a consultant and minority partner. The new team will be known as Andretti Green Racing.

Andretti said he did not yet know in which series the team would race or how many cars it would field.

"I don't have anything solid," Andretti said. "It is going to come down to the sponsors. But I would like to do Indianapolis, that is a race I really want."

With funding from American Honda, which is leaving CART at the end of this season to join the Indy Racing League and compete against Toyota, Andretti's team would be the factory Honda effort in the all-oval series should Andretti move to the IRL.

Whether KOOL, which poured $50 million into Green's operation back in 1998, continues as a major sponsor remains to be seen. Ditto for Motorola, Andretti's title sponsor the past two years.

"We don't have a signed sponsor," Andretti said. "We're going on the hope that what we're buying is going to sell itself. They've given us an indication that they're happy."

CART, meanwhile, would like to see Andretti continue driving Champ cars in 2003.

"Michael and the Andretti family have been an integral part of Champ Car racing history and we intend to do everything that we can to aid Michael in his new venture," said CART president Chris Pook. "We value Michael's presence in the CART FedEx Championship Series as well as that of Team KOOL Green and hope that we can continue what has been a very strong relationship."

Green, who captured the 1995 Indy 500 and CART title with Jacques Villeneuve, currently campaigns Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti under KOOL colors and runs Andretti with Motorola and Archipelago.

Green said he hoped Tracy and Franchitti would stay with the team, but that no decisions had been made.

The New Zealand native owns 19 CART victories and 16 pole positions as a car owner but also served as team manager for Al Unser Jr. when he captured the CART crown in 1990 and the '92 Indy 500.

Andretti's defection is another victory for the IRL -- which picked up Team Penske this year and already has Target/Ganassi and Mo Nunn Racing competing in both open wheel series. Adrian Fernandez will soon announce he is also going to run both series next year and will be a Honda team as well.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.