KATIE COPPLE: MULTIMEDIA PORTFOLIO
  • HOME
  • Reels/Awards
  • Anchor/Reporter
    • Web Articles
  • Producer
  • Contact Me
  • About Me

Dario Franchitti Announces Retirement

11/14/2013

0 Comments

 
One month after a horrific accident left him with a broken back, broken right ankle and a severe concussion, IndyCar Driver Dario Franchitti has announced that he will no longer be behind the wheel of his No.10 Target machine.

Franchitti released a statement this afternoon regarding his decision:

“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. 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.

“Racing has been my life for over 30 years and it’s really tough to think that the driving side is now over. I was really looking forward to the 2014 season with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, with a goal of winning a fourth Indianapolis 500 and a fifth IndyCar Series championship.

“I’d like to thank all my fellow competitors, teammates, crew and sponsors for their incredible support over the course of this amazing ride. I’d also like to thank Hogan Racing, Team KOOL Green and Andretti Green Racing for the opportunities to compete on the racetrack, and especially Target Chip Ganassi Racing, who have become like a family to me since I joined their team back in 2008. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all my fans around the world. I can’t thank you enough for standing by my side for all these years.

I’ll forever look back on my time racing in CART and the IndyCar Series with fond memories and the relationships I’ve forged in the sport will last a lifetime.

Hopefully in time, I’ll be able to continue in some off-track capacity with the IndyCar Series. I love open-wheel racing and I want to see it succeed. I’ll be working with Chip to see how I can stay involved with the team, and with all the amazing friends I’ve made over the years at Target.”

Franchitti ends his career tied in eighth for all-time wins in the IndyCar Series with 31 career wins and 33 career poles.

The three-time Indy 500 winner had an immediate outpouring of support from fellow drivers after his announcement.

“Sad, indeed,” Kanaan said via text message to USA Today. “Dario was the key person on the process of getting me to the Ganassi team and I was counting the days to be his teammate again.

“Dario is a great person, a superb driver and a motorsports legend. But most importantly, he is my friend, and as much as it hurts not seeing him compete with me in IndyCar, I’m very happy that he got out of that accident and is still with us.”

Teammate Scott Dixon also made a comment regarding Franchitti’s unexpected retirement saying: “Dario is a true legend in the sport. More importantly, I can call him a best friend. There are very few people that have achieved as much in auto racing and knowing Dario, he won’t go far as IndyCar racing is in his blood and I am sure he will stay involved somehow.”

IndyCar will feel the loss of Franchitti’s presence at the track in 2014 but the legacy he has left behind will be present for years to come. “As a four-time IndyCar Series champion and a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Dario Franchitti has etched his name among the greats of this sport, and his legacy will continue to influence future generations of competitors,” a spokesperson for IndyCar said Thursday. “His passion was born, in part, from a deep love for the sport and a reverence to its history, and Dario carries that heritage everywhere he travels and shares it with everyone he meets. Dario’s leadership on and off the track has helped shape IndyCar, and we look forward to him remaining involved in the sport he loves.”

Franchitti has already underwent two surgeries to repair his ankle and is at home in Scotland recovering.

Original Post: Click Here


0 Comments

    Archives

    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    10 Reasons Why Nascar Is Better Than Football
    2012 Nascar Championship Predictions
    2013: NASCAR Isn't Playing Games
    2014 Driver Team Changes
    2014 Rookie Of The Year
    8 Ways To Make The Off-Season Not So Awful
    A Drop In Attendance: What Can Be Done?
    Alex Bowman
    A Look At Talladega
    ASCAR Silly Season: Here Is What Happened
    A Track Schedule Fans Want To See
    Austin Dillon: A Champion Once More
    Bad Luck For Hendrick Motorsports
    Bank Of America 500 Recap
    BK Racing
    Brad Keselowski 2013 Preview
    Breaking Down Hendrick Motorsports
    Bristol: Who Needs To Perform
    Can 5-Time Get His 6-Pack?
    Carl Edwards Is Coming
    Chase
    Chase Elliott Joins JRM
    Coca-Cola 600 Predictions
    Crafton Closes In On First Championship
    Dale Earnhardt Jr Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down
    Danica Patrick
    Danica Patrick 500
    Danica Patrick Is Measuring Up
    Danica Patrick: Is She Prepared?
    Danica Patrick's Rock Star Weekend
    Danica's Impressive Martinsville Finish
    Dario Franchitti Announces Retirement
    Daytona 500: Johnson Won
    Daytona International Speedway
    Divers To Watch In 2013
    DIVORCE: Danica's Devastating News
    Does Gordon Still Have A Chance?
    Earnhardt Continues Strong Run
    Earnhardt's Famed No.3 Returns
    Gordon: Victorious
    Green White Checkers
    Importance Of Daytona Testing
    Is Jeff Gordon's Career Coming To An End?
    Is Johnson The Best Ever?
    Issues Early In Sprint Cup Practice At Martinsville
    Jimmie Johnson Comtinues To Shine
    Jimmie Johnson Gets His 6 Pack
    Jimmie Johnson Is More Than Just A Driver
    Joey Logano Vs Tony Stewart
    Johanna Long 2013 Preview
    Johnson: Can He Do It Again?
    Johnson Makes History; Closes In On Kenseth
    Johnson's Championship To Lose
    Johnson To Repeat In 2014
    Junior Wins MPD
    Justin Allgaier
    Kahne Hoping For A Better 2014
    Kevin Harvick's Future With RCR And SHR
    Kyle Busch: How Much Is Too Much?
    LIVE! Kansas Speedway
    Martinsville: Who To Watch
    Matt Crafton Captures 1st Championship
    Michael Schumacher
    NASCAR
    Nascar And Indycar Go Pink
    Nascar Announces Rule Changes
    NASCAR Secondary Team Sponsor Terms Announced
    Nationwide Series
    Nationwide Series Drivers Who Deserve Sprint Cup Series Rides
    New Chase Format
    NNS Championship Outlok
    NNS: Keselowski Wins At Texas
    No.3 NCWTS Team Penalized
    Notables At The Monster
    Opinion
    OPINION: What Busch's Move To SHR Really Means
    Patrick 8th But What About The Others?
    Penske Racing
    Phoenix Racing
    Qualifying
    RCR
    Ricky Stenhouse Jr: A Champion
    Ryan Newman To Rcr In 2014
    Ryan Truex
    Sam Hornish Jr. Thinking Positive In 2013
    Shr Offers Ride To Kurt Busch
    Shr Troubles During The Fresh Fit 500
    Southern 500 Winners And Losers
    Sprint All-Star Race Fan Vote Predictions
    Stenhouse Jr's Zestfully Fast Weekend
    Steve Letarte
    Stewart-Haas Racing
    Stewart-Haas Racing And Kurt Busch Make It Official
    Stewart-Haas Racing Gaining Ground
    Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Endless Movie References
    Talladega's Dark Horse
    Talladega: What Happened?
    Texas Recap: Johnson's Dominating Win
    The Rain-Delayed 499
    Tied At The Top
    Travis Kvapil Arrested
    Travis Pastrana OUT
    Truck Series
    Truex To Furniture Row Racing
    Wallace
    What Does Danica Patrick's Pole Win Mean For NASCAR?
    What To Watch For In 2013
    Who Is Miss Sprint Cup
    Who Is The Real Bad Luck Brian?
    Who Must Win In 2014

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • HOME
  • Reels/Awards
  • Anchor/Reporter
    • Web Articles
  • Producer
  • Contact Me
  • About Me