Speed ace Dario goes racing back in time
HE was forced to retire from motor racing on medical advice after a serious crash last year.
But Dario Franchitti thrilled fans by getting back behind the wheel at Silverstone yesterday.
The 41-year-old Scot, who is divorced from wife and Hollywood star Ashley Judd, joined racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart for a parade celebrating 50 years of Silverstone.
He was given the honour of driving the car of another Scottish racing hero, Jim Clark.
The Lotus 25 R4 was the car Clark drove to victory in the 1963 World Championship before he was killed only five years later in a racing accident in Germany.
Despite dying aged 32, Clark remains the greatest British racing driver on home soil, having won the British Grand Prix five times.
Franchitti has also seen friends, including teammate Dan Wheldon, killed on the racing track and had a lucky escape when his own car crashed at 185mph last year.
After fracturing his spine, suffering concussion and breaking his ankle, doctors warned him he could be putting his life at risk if he drove again. The four-time IndyCar champion now lives in a £4million mansion in Port of Menteith, near Stirling.
He said before the parade: ‘I’m delighted to be coming back to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, especially this year to celebrate the 50th Grand Prix at the racetrack.
‘I’m truly honoured to be driving Jim Clark’s Lotus 25 in the parade to celebrate this amazing milestone.’
Despite competing in the less r ecognised I ndyCar s eries, Franchitti has been described as ‘the finest racing driver of all time’ by none other than track legend Sir Jackie. The Dumbarton-born veteran was also at the iconic Silverstone track, where he drove his 1969 British Grand Prix winning Matra MS80.
Nicknamed the Flying Scot, the 75-year-old is worth £42million according to the Rich List and now campaigns for motor racing safety.
His son Paul was with him at the parade. The younger driver founded Jaguar Racing with his father in 1996 and sold it to Ford three years later for almost £100million.
He drove a blue 1973 Tyrrell 006, the same type of car Sir Jackie raced to win his third Formula One title in 1973.