Dario Franchitti

Dario Franchitti ( born May 19, 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland ) is a retired British racing driver with Italian ancestors. He rode from 2002 to 2013 in the IndyCar Series, winning in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 the championship. 2007, 2010 and 2012 he won the Indianapolis 500 for themselves. From 2008 to 2013 he went to for Chip Ganassi Racing. He is the cousin of the racer Paul di Resta.

  • 3.1 Career stations
  • 3.2 Individual results in the IndyCar Series

Career

Beginnings in motorsport (1984-1994)

Franchitti began his career like most racers in karting, where he was active from 1984 to 1990. He won the 1984 Scottish Junior Kart Championship, 1985 and 1986, the British Junior Kart Championship and 1988 the Scottish Karting Championship. In 1991 he was in the British Formula Vauxhall Junior made ​​his debut in Formula racing and immediately won the championship title in this series. A year later he started for Paul Stewart Racing in the British Formula Vauxhall Championship and finished fourth this. In addition, he was awarded in the year with the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. In 1993 he stayed with his team, winning the championship title of the British Formula Vauxhall.

After he had already given with Paul Stewart Racing in 1993 with a race debut in the British Formula 3 Championship, he played the entire season in 1994 in this series and was a win fourth in the overall standings.

DTM / ITC (1995-1996)

In 1995 he moved to touring car racing and competed for Mercedes -AMG in a Mercedes -Benz C-Class. He took part in both the German Touring Car Championship ( DTM ) and on the related International Touring Car Championship (ITC ). While he finished the DTM season in fifth place overall, he was a third victory of the ITC. In 1996, he remained in the ITC, which had since been merged with the DTM, and was with a race win fourth in the championship.

Champ Car (1997-2002)

In 1997, Franchitti in the CART series to North America and played his debut season for Hogan Racing. At the end of the season, he finished 20th overall. In 1998 he received a cockpit with Team Green and was teammate Paul Tracy. Franchitti won three races and finished third in the overall standings with a clear lead over his teammate Tracy. 1999 denied Franchitti his third season in the CART series. For Team Green, he won three races and was at the end of the season tied with Juan Pablo Montoya at the top of the field. He lost the title against Montoya, because he had scored fewer victories, and was runner-up.

Before the 2000 season Franchitti had a serious accident while testing. Although he started the season as usual, but did not attain the form of the previous year and achieved second place for best results 13th overall. In 2001, he improved his form, finishing with a victory in seventh place in the championship. In 2002 he return three victories. Among other things, he won the race in Vancouver, where he dedicated the race win to his late friend Greg Moore in 1999.

IndyCar Series (2002-2007)

After he had given in 2002 at the Indianapolis 500 debut in the Indy Racing League, he entered 2003 with three races of the now renamed the IndyCar Series championship. He started for Andretti Green Motorsport, which was created from a merger of his old racing team. At the end of the season, he finished 25th overall. The remaining races of the season, he had to leave out because he had suffered a back injury during a private motorcycle accident. 2004 Franchitti returned to his cockpit and was with two wins sixth in the overall standings. A year later, he again won two races and improved to fourth overall. In both years, won with Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon one of his teammates the champion of the IndyCar Series.

2006 remained Franchitti again at Andretti Green Racing. He remained after two seasons without a win for the first time, finishing in eighth place overall. In 2007 he won the first Indianapolis 500 In the subsequent course of the season he had two serious accidents, which he survived unharmed. He won another three races and secured on the season finale of the championship the IndyCar Series ahead of Scott Dixon. After winning the championship, Franchitti is decided to leave the IndyCar Series. He had already taken part during the season to race in the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series and the American Le Mans Series ( ALMS).

NASCAR Sprint Cup (2008)

In 2008 he started for Chip Ganassi Racing in a Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He was the first European in the history of NASCAR, which should go full-time in the series. After he first had to pause because of injury, his team's season ended prematurely because of financial problems. In the overall standings, he was 42 In addition, he also took part in races of the NASCAR Nationwide Series part and started again in the ALMS and the ARCA Racing Series. In the Rolex Sports Car Series, he won the 24 - hour race at Daytona along with his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas. At the end of the year he took part in a non- championship for scoring race of the IndyCar Series and entered it for the first time for Chip Ganassi Racing to an IndyCar race.

IndyCar Series (2009-2013)

2009 returned Franchitti returned to the IndyCar Series and stayed with Chip Ganassi Racing. Having already won four races, he had before the season finale at Homestead, along with his teammate Dixon and Ryan Briscoe chances of winning the title. The three pilots did in the race both the victory and the title win over significantly among themselves. The other driver had at least one lap behind the leading trio. The race went for the first time in the history of IndyCar Series without interruption, so that the decision about the victory was won only by fuel-saving driving style of Franchitti, who in contrast to Briscoe and Dixon avoided an additional refueling stop a few laps to go. Thus Franchitti won the second championship of his career ahead of his teammate Dixon and Briscoe. In addition, he took part in the race of the Rolex Sports Car Series and the ALMS.

2010 remained Franchitti together with Dixon at Chip Ganassi Racing. During his first Indianapolis 500 victory was in the season and his second in Indianapolis. Franchitti also led the race most of the rounds. In Lexington and Joliet followed by other victories. Franchitti led the championship during the season only for a race. In the remaining races Will Power was on the first place. The two racers battled until the last race for the title. At the season finale in Homestead Franchitti finally handed an eighth place for the title to defend and win for the third time the IndyCar Series. After he had led the race for the most laps, he had, after power was knocked out with a self-inflicted suspension damage, only come in the top ten drivers to the finish. The title fight was determined by different powers of the two racers. During power on the racetrack drove superior part and on the ovals for the most part could not keep up with the top, Franchitti convinced with consistently good performance on all road types. 13 of 17 races he finished among the top five pilots. With 602 to 597 points Franchitti decided the title fight for themselves. He also won the award for the first time AJ Foyt - trophy, which was awarded the best pilot on the oval courses. In addition, Franchitti took part once again in the 24 - hour race at Daytona.

As defending champion Franchitti joined Chip Ganassi Racing in 2011 for. With a win at the season opener in Saint Petersburg and two third places from the first three races he started in the season. In the second oval event in Fort Worth in the first race was followed by another victory. For the second race in which the starting grid was solved, Franchitti drew 28 of 30 grid positions. In the race, he made some good positions and came in seventh place finish. The next oval race in West Allis, he scored his third win of the season. When you return to the road courses Franchitti won the race in Toronto for themselves. He noticed not only by an appropriate strategy, but also by a collision with power. The next two races on road courses, he also finished on the podium. In the second to last race he lost just under 0.0098 seconds with Ed Carpenter and finished second. Before the last race Franchitti led the championship with 573 to 555 points ahead of Power. The last race of the season in Las Vegas was canceled due to a mass accident and not be counted. Franchittis fourth title win was it the death of his former team Kollegens and long-time friend Dan Wheldon, whom he had known since the age of six, overshadowed. Franchitti and Power alternated during the course of the season more than once in the standings. At the 24 - hour race at Daytona Franchitti scored this season along with his teammate Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray in second place.

2012 denied Franchitti for Chip Ganassi Racing another IndyCar Series season. He reached in the first four races twice Top 10 In the fifth race, the Indianapolis 500, he scored the winner from the 16th place starting. It was his third victory in this race. A race later in Detroit, he finished second behind his teammate Dixon. The Oval Races in West Allis and Newton Franchitti each scored pole position and was eliminated from the race. In Newton, he suffered already in the introduction rounds an engine failure. In the last three races, he reached two more podium finishes with a third place in Sonoma and a second place in Fontana. He finished the season in seventh place overall and was defeated for the first time his Ganassi teammate Dixon. In addition, he again took part in the 24 - hour race at Daytona and launched together with his brother Marino at an ALMS race. 2013 remained at Chip Ganassi Franchitti in the IndyCar Series. After he was killed in the first ten races six times in the top 10, he finished four of the next five races in third place and one fourth. He started five times in the season from pole position.

In the penultimate race of the season in Houston Franchitti was involved in a serious accident. He went on Takuma Satō, lifted off and flew into the catch fence that destroyed his vehicle. Franchitti came on the line to stand. He retired in the accident, a concussion, two vertebral fractures and a fracture of the right ankle. The vertebral fractures did not require surgery, the ankle fracture was still operates on race day. Franchitti finished the season starting in tenth place in the drivers' standings. Unlike his teammate Dixon and Kimball he remained without a win. Dixon decided this season's championship.

After the season, Franchitti was the end of his racing career known. Although he was still standing in 2014 at Chip Ganassi Racing under contract and the treatment of the injuries was successful, he decided, on the recommendation of his doctors to no longer return to the racing cockpit. Both because of the concussion, which was associated with memory loss, and because of the injuries to the spine, which were not his first back injury, doctors advised him to take this step.

Others

Franchitti is a "right brakeman ." Since the clutch pedal disappeared over time from most racing cars, racing driver can brake with the left foot. However, Franchitti was always at his usual driving style. For the introduction of the Dallara DW12 IndyCar Series in 2012, a special kit was designed for him, at which the brake pedal is on the right side of the steering column.

Personal

Franchitti was married eleven years with actress Ashley Judd. 2013 announced both their separation.

Statistics

Career stations

  • 2002: CART (4th place )
  • 2002: Indy Racing League ( 44th)
  • 2003: IndyCar Series (No. 25)
  • 2004: IndyCar Series ( 6th place)
  • 2005: IndyCar Series (4th place )
  • 2006: IndyCar Series (8th place )
  • 2007: IndyCar Series (Master)
  • 2007 NASCAR Busch Series ( No. 95 )
  • 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (No. 104)
  • 2007: ALMS LMP2 (11th )
  • 2007: ARCA Racing Series (No. 135)
  • 2008: NASCAR Sprint Cup ( place 42)
  • 2008: NASCAR Nationwide Series ( No. 35 )
  • 2008: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( position 42 )
  • 2008: ALMS LMP2
  • 2009: IndyCar Series (Master)
  • 2009: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( place 40)
  • 2009: ALMS, LMP1 ( 12th place)
  • 2010: IndyCar Series (Master)
  • 2010: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( place 65)
  • 2011: IndyCar Series (Master)
  • 2011: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( place 24)
  • 2012: IndyCar Series (No. 7)
  • 2012: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( number 29 )
  • 2012: ALMS, P2 (8th place )
  • 2013: IndyCar Series (No. 10)

Individual results in the IndyCar Series

( Legend)

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