Dario Franchitti (four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner) was injured in a last-lap collision with Takuma Sato. The Scottish driver had a heavy collision with the wall at high speed, and several debris of his car flew to the stands, causing some injuries to a few spectators, two of them were evacuated to hospital, but they are fine. Franchitti fractured vertebrae, that will not require surgery, according to INDYCAR medical director Dr. Michael Olinger. However, Franchitti also fractured his right ankle and had surgery a few hours after the crash to stabilize the ankle. He was released from Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston yesterday and travelled to Indianapolis where he will be reevaluated over the next few days and ultimately await a second surgery to his right ankle
Next week, the final race of the season will take place in Fontana, California. Chip Ganassi has decided that Alex Tagliani will drive the car number 10, instead of the Scottish. Franchitti was grateful for the support received by a lot of fans.
Franchitti’s brother took this pic in Houston:
