Four-time champion and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti announced Thursday evening that he will be retiring from racing because of injuries he suffered in an accident during the Grand Prix of Houston on October 6.
Franchitti suffered a concussion and fractures of his spine and ankles when his car struck that of Takuma Sato at one of the fastest corners of the course and spun into the catch fencing several feet in the air before crashing back to the track surface.
Because Franchitti has sustained concussions in other accidents, medical experts advised the 40-year-old Scotsman not to risk his long-term health by continuing to race.
“Since my racing accident in Houston, I have been in the expert care of some of the leading doctors and nurses, all of whom have made my health, my safety and my recovery their top priority,“ Franchitti said in a statement. ”I am eternally grateful for the medical care I have received over the last several weeks. I'd also like to thank my family and friends for their unbelievable support.
“One month removed from the crash and based upon the expert advice of the doctors who have treated and assessed my head and spinal injuries post-accident, it is their best medical opinion that I must stop racing. They have made it very clear that the risks involved in further racing are too great and could be detrimental to my long term well-being. Based on this medical advice, I have no choice but to stop.”
With four IndyCar titles, Franchitti is second only to the legendary A,.J. Foyt, who won seven. Franchitti’s 31 IndyCar wins, 92 podiums, and 33 poles put him eighth, fifth, and sixth respectively in those categories in the long history of the sport.
He is also one of only three to win three consecutive titles: Franchitti did it in 2009–2011, Ted Horn won three straight from 1946–1948, and Sébastien Bourdais won four straight, 2004–2007.
Besides his huge success in IndyCar, Franchitti also excelled in sports cars. In 2007–2008 he became the first driver to win the Sebring 12 Hours, Indy 500, IndyCar championship, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona consecutively. Both Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt also scored all four achievements, but not in a single year.
Franchitti hopes to remain involved in IndyCar even though he cannot be behind the wheel.
