With new colors, Marco Andretti hopes for success

Last year, fans would look for Dr. Pepper’s red and white or RC Cola’s blue to find Marco Andretti. Though for 2014, the third generation driver will be sporting the blue and yellow colors of Snapple.

“Those guys (at Dr Pepper/Snapple) have been so loyal, really to the whole team, but to me, especially,” Andretti told IndyCar.com. “(To have a sponsor for) six years and running is awesome. Really, I want to give those guys what they deserve and that’s a bunch of wins, the Indy 500 and the championship.”

Andretti enters his ninth year of competition looking for his first ever IndyCar Series Championship.

Last year, he scored a career best finish of fifth in the final points standings. The success of last season was credited to Andretti working with a driver coach on ways to improve as a driver. Now heading into 2014, it’s all about fixing the errors they made last year.

“If you look at what cost us wins last year, really we just need to do a lot of the same things we did last year and really capitalize on leading those laps by leading the right laps,” he commented. “The disappointing stat for me is 1,000 laps led (Andretti has led 907) but only two victories. Really, we need to be there when it counts.”

This past off-season, Andretti spent some time relaxing, taking a trip with Kevin Hart and Ludacris.

“We went to Anguilla and did some island-hopping (in the Caribbean),” Andretti spoke of his off-season activities. “We went to St. Maarten and then the Dominican Republic with Ice-T and Coco on the way back. We really spoiled ourselves this offseason. That’s what we normally do. I take some prize money and just get away and relax. But as soon as I get there, all I want to do is come back and get to work.”

The action will pick up soon for Andretti and company as IndyCar is only approximately two months from the season opener at the end of March in St. Petersburg, Florida.