Dario Franchitti Retiring from Racing

After his massive last-lap crash during the Houston Grand Prix, 4-time Indy Car series champion and 3-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti has been advised by Miami doctors not to race again but not for reasons you might think.

 

 

Exiting turn 5 on the last lap of the Indy car race in Houston, the Scot, driving the #10 Team Chip Ganassi Racing machine went to pass Takuma Sato's AJ Foyt owned ABC Supply machine at the wrong moment. Contact sent him into the catch fence and tumbling back onto the track. The wreck caused several injuries, including a broken ankle which was operated on twice, first in Houston then again in Miami, a spinal cord injury although there are no further details, and most notably a severe concussion. This was his third, and  due to the massive nature of the concussion, Miami doctors advised him not to risk further nuerological injury and possible brain trauma by getting another concussion.

 

"He's very susceptible now, to a low level, low energy crash causing major damage" said his team owner and friend Chip Ganassi, "He's a professional and would never put other professionals at risk, or put a black eye on the sport" by continuing.

Concussions in Pro Sports

Concussions and brain trauma are a big subject in professional sports these days. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
suffered two concussions last year, and sat out three races. Since then, Nascar has implemented 'baseling concussion testing' starting prior to the 2014 season.

Pro football in the U.S. is coming to terms with a broader effect multiple concussions are having on their sport. Prolonged impact and multiple concussions have led to high profile players in the NFL suffering from dementia and brain trauma. Some, like Junior Seau have committed suicide. Amazingly, it is speculated Seau chose not to damage his brain allowing doctors to examine it post mortem. He shot himself in the chest.

 

For some race car drivers, like Brad Keselowski, the fuzzy understanding of the brain means doctors don't always know whats best. "They are not risk takers. We are", said the defending Nascar champ, "They've never understood our sport and they never will".

 

Franchitti's Replacement

There has been furious chatter about the vacancy Dario's retirement causes, and could be a domino-tumble effect on the drivers and seats extending into GP2, Rolex and Formula 1.

 

Names like Kovalienen, Daly and Karam are bandied about, but with the addition already of Tony Kanaan to TCGR, Ganassi concedes Tony is a candidate for the vacant #10 Target car. Kanaan's sponsorship would have to be worked out though, as he's already signed with a main sponsor. That would leave the #38 car's seat up for grabs.

Justin Wilson

 

 

Takuma Sato

 

 

Dario 1999 CART Team Kool Green

 

Dario and Juan Pablo Montoya celebrating the 24 Hours of Daytona victory

 

Other Indy car drivers to be considered would have to be Alex Tagliani who drove the #10 car in the final race of the season for TCGR, and Ryan Briscoe who's driven for Ganassi before. Also under consideration should be Justin Wilson who's recovering from a pelvis injury sustained during the last race of the season. Wilson is committed to drive for Dayle Coyne Racing again next year, and though Coyne might let him out of the contract, it will probably be a decision left until right before the start of the season as Coyne has done in the past.


-katykarter