De Ferran picks team over driving

Gil de Ferran is calling time on a driving career that has encompassed two Champ Car titles and victory in the 2003 Indy 500.

De Ferran ended a four-year absence from the cockpit last season after forming his own team to run a factory-backed Acura in the American Le Mans Series. The 41-year-old has now decided to focus on that organisation and will retire for a second time after the ALMS finale at Laguna Seca in October.

De Ferran announced his retirement at the same time as reconfirming his aim to expand his team into the IRL. He said that “in a perfect world” De Ferran Motorsports would run two ALMS cars and two Indycars in 2010.

“I would like to avoid any misunderstanding as to what my goals are,” said de Ferran. “Driving again was always a short-term proposition and team ownership a long-term proposition.”