DRIVER DOWNLOAD: Colin Mullan & Jarett Andretti

DRIVER DOWNLOAD: Colin Mullan & Jarett Andretti

Andretti Autosport is back with the pairing of Colin Mullan and Jarett Andretti for the 2020 Pirelli GT4 America SprintX Championship after Mullan ran a partial season with the team in 2019. Jarett Andretti will also be taking on the Pirelli GT4 America Sprint Championship as well. We caught up with the pair for this Driver Download!

QUICK FACTS

Team: Andretti Autosport
Car: McLaren 570S

Colin Mullan

Age: 18
Hometown: Danville, CA
Favorite Track: Sonoma Raceway
Daily Driver: Honda Civic Si
Dream Car: Ford RS200
Racing Hero: Jarett Andretti
Favorite Food: Spaghetti Carbonara
Favorite Hobby: Photography
Occupation: College Student (Ohio State 2024!)
Favorite Vacation Spot: Any race track
Pet names: Dixie, Indy, Fresno
First Car: MINI John Cooper Works
Favorite Movie: The Art of Racing in the Rain (My yellow MINI made a couple of frames in the CTMP footage)
Favorite TV Show: Drive to Survive

Jarett Andretti

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Favorite Track: Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
Daily Driver: Something GM!
Dream Car: McLaren P1 GTR
Racing Hero: Outside the family, has to be Senna
Favorite Food: Tacos or Sushi!
Favorite Hobby: Hosting friends/family at the house
Occupation: Race Car Driver
Favorite Vacation Spot: Charleston, Isle of Palms, SC
Pet Names: Enzo (after the dog in the Art of Racing in the Rain)
First Car: Dodge Durango
Favorite Movie: Godfather
Favorite TV Show: Mindhunter and Narcos on Netflix

DEEP DIVE

Tell us about the season opener at COTA went?
Colin: COTA was a good way for us to start the year. We didn’t quite have the outright pace we had hoped for, but we still managed to come home with a solid result. I had never raced at COTA before, and really had a great experience overall. I’m really looking forward to getting to some tracks that should suit our car better.

Jarett: COTA was a solid weekend. Sometimes you just feel at a bit of a disadvantage BoP and you have to make the most of it. In the Sprint X side I think we definitely maximized our points with quick stops and solid strategy.

How did you get into racing?
Colin: I saw a NASCAR race on TV when I was five years old and was immediately hooked! My dad happened to hear of a place where I could start racing quarter-midgets about 20 minutes away, which I began at around age six. From then on, we have always been trying to get to the next level.

Jarett: Dad bought a go-kart for himself and pretty soon he wasn’t driving it at all! He was a pretty good mechanic though!

What is your favorite racing memory?
Colin: This one is a toss-up. In 2018, winning Watkins Glen with the MINI JCW Team was very special. It was my second ever race at a pro-level, and I became the youngest winner in that series history. The whole experience was surreal, having watched and idolizing sports car racing growing up, to being a part of the action and winning at such an iconic track was incredible. Our race at Las Vegas last year was really rewarding as well. I had a rough year leading up to that point, everything that could have gone wrong seemed to happen, and this was our last shot at a good result to cap off the season.

Jarett: I think winning at Watkins Glen last year was special. My family and lots of friends were there. Dad was spotting for me and the guys actually stayed at the track all night to fix an issue with the car. It was nice to reward them with a win after all that hard work.

What’s the story behind you helmet design?
Colin: Blue and white have kind of been my signature colors growing up, but other than the coloring I let my helmet painter take free reign of the design. Speedline Design has done all of my helmets out of his garage half an hour from my house.

Jarett: I like the American Flag and especially in the open wheel cars you can see it easily. I incorporate different features into each one. I’m giving a helmet to each of my parents and sisters so I let them add elements to them. For Mom’s we added roses, some important dates to her and also pictures she picked out.

Something interesting about you or a hidden talent?
Colin: Each year I fundraise for Parkinson’s Research through the Danville d’Elegance Foundation since my Uncle and Grandfather are both afflicted with the disease. About five years ago I wanted to find a way to give back to my community, and the DDE Foundation was the perfect tie into the motor racing world. I’ve been able to use racing as a platform to help promote the cause, working with organizations like the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the Parkinson’s Institute. As my racing career has progressed, it’s always been a priority of mine to tie in whatever I’m racing to these charity efforts.

Jarett: I don’t know if it’s really a talent, but I enjoy working on my sprint cars a lot. It’s very relaxing to me and good therapy to break up the day. I could do without the car washes, but you have to take the good with the bad!

If you could invite 3 people to dinner who would it be and why?
Colin: This is a tough one! Since I’m about to start studying engineering in college, having a conversation with the likes of Colin Chapman, Gordon Murray, and Adrian Newey. I’ve always found innovation in motorsports really interesting, and really want to learn more about the technical and research side that goes into developing a race car.

Jarett: Dad, Senna and maybe President Reagan or Trump. I think that would be quite the dinner conversation! 

Colin, what was it like winning the Team USA Scholarship and racing Formula Ford in the United Kingdom?

Being a part of Team USA was terrific. Formula Ford creates very close and intense racing, and as a result, I was able to hone my race craft and learn an immense amount along the way. Racing at Donington, Brands Hatch, and Silverstone all within a month was crazy and incredible all at the same time. Off-track, my teammate Jake and I had a great time touring England and many race teams along the way. After visiting the McLaren Technology Center, I couldn’t have dreamed of racing one of their cars so soon. I’m so grateful to have been a part of the whole experience and humbled to have my name added to the list of alumni.

Jarett, you’ve raced Sprint Cars, Silver Crown, Midgets, Indy Lights and Sportscars. How do you feel your variety of machinery you’ve operated helps you exel in your career?

I’ve been very lucky to get to have driven all kinds of cars. I really enjoy the sportscars and adding sprint car races in between. I think just racing all the time helps keep you sharp if you look at the guys in the 60s, 70s, 80s they were racing every weekend in all kinds of different cars. There are still quite a few cars I’d like to try or run more frequently. I think Top Fuel Dragsters are awesome so maybe I’ll add that to the list eventually!