After being injured during a car wreck in Houston’s Grand Prix last month, driver Dario Franchitti said today that he has decided to retire.
In a statement shared with fans on Twitter, Franchitti said that since the accident, he has still been under doctor’s care. After a month, his doctors told him that he should no longer race and Franchitti decided that he had to stop.
“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,” the Scottish driver wrote. “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.”
A sad day but I'm eternally grateful... pic.twitter.com/h9ozPEOf7S
— Dario Franchitti (@dariofranchitti) November 14, 2013
Franchitti was injured back on Oct. 6, after his car hit another and then hit a fence, notes The AP. He not only suffered a concussion, but also broke his right ankle and fractured two vertebrae. His estranged wife, actress Ashley Judd, rushed to his side at the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and she continued to show her support today on her Twitter page.
Retweet! #ThankYouDario One-of-a kind-racer, accomplishments that dazzle, has respect of legends & newcomers, but most of all, a gentleman.
— ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) November 14, 2013
Franchitti, 40 began racing in 1997, reports USA Today. He won three Indianapolis 500s, had a total of 31 career wins, putting him at eighth all-time and had 33 pole positions.
image: Wikimedia Commons
