Race ace’s Hall of Fame honour
Scots racing star hailed for his‘mastery in the car’
Bathgate racer Dario Franchitti has been elected to the Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
The 43-year-old is a threetime Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time IndyCar Series champion.
As part of an illustrious career, Franchitti was also part of the victorious 24 Hours of Daytona in 2008.
He was forced to retire from the sport in 2013 after a horror crash in the Grand Prix of Houston in which he suffered two fractured vertebrae and a broken ankle.
Franchitti, whose brother Marino and cousin Paul di Resta, have both forged successful motorsport careers, won 31 races during his IndyCar series career which sees him rank ninth in the alltime standings.
J. Do u g l a s Bo l e s, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president, paid tribute to Franchitti, commenting: “Dario Fr a n c h i t t i ’s winning performances at the Indiandapolis Motor Speedway are some of the most memorable in IMS history. His three wins in a five-race span, coupled with four front row starts and six top-seven finishes in just 10 starts, prove Dario understood how to compete at IMS.
“In addition, Dario was a fan favourite because of the combination of mastery in the car coupled with his understanding and appreciation of the history of the Indianapolis 500.
“He, more than most, will understand the honour of him becoming a member of the Auto Racing Hall of Fame.”
Indianapolis Mot o r Speedway historian added: “Quite apart from having compiled an exceptional and well- documented career of his own, Dario continuously displays the most profound respect for those who went before him, along with pure passion for the history of motorsport, not only by collecting memorabilia, but even to the point of having taken a course in car restoration.”
After the announcement, Franchitti, who was elected to the Hall of Fame alongside iconic team owner and constructor Bruce McLaren, tweeted: “I’m so proud of this honour, thank you very much!!”