Lead Knockhill commentator, Garry Stagg, caught up with 4 times IndyCar and 3 times Indy500 winner, Dario Franchitti on a recent Scottish Championship Racing event (May 2014). Dario has undoubtedly been one of Scotland’s leading racing drivers for the past 15 years and in this interview he talks openly about his career, his retirement and his overriding love of racing.
Dario’s Indy career, which included 31 wins and 33 pole positions, came to an earth-shattering end on Sunday 6th October 2013, following a high-speed crash at the Houston Grand Prix which left the Scot with numerous injuries including concussion, a broken right ankle and a broken back. It took little less than a month for Dario to announce his retirement from IndyCar where he finished 8th on the all-time winners list; a list that includes names like AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti and former team-mate Scott Dixon.
On his recent retirement Dario commented:
“I had no option, but to retire.
“It wasn’t really a decision l got to make. It was a decision made by the doctors and l would never have gone against that.”
“I guess you have to make the best of the situation,” continued Dario.
“I had a great time, raced Indy Car for a long period and it give me things, and a lifestyle, l could never have imagined.”
Franchitti also turned his hand to NASCAR racing which, he admits, wasn’t a great experience.
“I made a change, without really understanding what l was doing.
“I’d never been to a NASCAR race, I’d never driven a stock car and l made this move… which became apparent, pretty quickly, was going to be a massive change.
“Anything l’d learned in my life about racing racing cars, didn’t translate into NASCAR, so l had to re-learn a lot of stuff; but l did learn a lot from it and was able to bring some of that back to IndyCars.”
In the ten minute long audio interview, Dario also discusses his future role with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, sponsor work with Honda and TW Steele, Movies and the reasons behind his gesture of purchasing a new Formula Ford for the Racing for Scotland scheme; a car driven by 17 year old Ciaran Haggerty in the Scottish Formula Ford 1600 Championship.
You can listen to the full interview below!