IndyCar – Dario Franchitti forced to retire

It is certainly a very big name in American motorsport which must withdraw. Victim of an impressive crash on October 6, where the penultimate round of the 2013 season of theIndyCar series, Dario Franchitti escaped with an injury to a vertebra and his right ankle. After undergoing various operations, the Scot decided, on the advice of his doctors, to put an end to his racing career.

“Since my accident, I have been in the expert hands of doctors and nurses who have made my health, my safety and my convalescence their priority, underlines Dario Franchitti. I will be forever grateful for the medical care I received over the past few weeks. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their incredible support. A month has passed since the crash, and based on the expert opinion of the doctors who treated and examined my head and spinal injuries resulting from my accident, the best medical advice I have been given is that I have to stop running. They have been very clear that the risks involved in pursuing my career are too great and could be detrimental to my health in the long term. Based on this medical advice, I have no choice but to stop. »

It is with these few words that this icon of car made in US announced his retirement from sport. Holder of 4 IndyCar Series titles not without having pocketed 31 victories and 33 pole positions, the 40-year-old Scot is best known for his three successes at the Indianapolis 500. “Running has been my life for 30 years and it's very hard to think that racing is over. I was looking forward to entering the 2014 season with Target Chip Ganassi Racing with the goal of bagging a fourth Indy 500 victory and a fifth IndyCar championship crown. I would like to thank my opponents, my stablemates, my teams and my sponsors for their incredible support during this extraordinary adventure. I would also like to thank Hogan Racing, Team Kool Green and Andretti Green Racing for giving me these opportunities to compete, and especially Target Chip Ganassi Racing, who has become like family to me since I joined in 2008. And I would be remiss if I didn't thank my fans around the world. I can never thank you enough for supporting me all these years. »

Rest assured, Dario Franchitti will certainly continue to roam the paddocks. “Hopefully I will be able to continue having some off-track activities with the IndyCar Series, He continues. I'm going to work with Chip to see how I can stay involved with the team with all these friends I've made over the years. »

Since the announcement of his withdrawal was made official a few minutes ago, messages have been flooding in on social networks. Popular and appreciated, Dario Franchitti will undoubtedly leave a big void on the starting grids of the IndyCar Series next year.