Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Franchitti goes back to Andretti Green Racing

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-4089.

Veteran open-wheel driver Dario Franchitti, who missed most of the 2003 Indy Racing League season with a back injury, will return to Andretti Green Racing next season, the team announced Tuesday.

Franchitti competed in only three IRL races this season due to the injury he suffered in a motorcycle accident in his native Scotland.

"To say I'm eager to get going again would be a huge understatement," Franchitti said in a statement released by his team. "My recovery has been going very well, and I know I'm not quite through the process yet but I really can't wait to get back in an AGR car and work with my guys.

"I'm working very hard to regain my fitness and I feel like I'm a bit ahead of schedule. I am very focused on getting back to 100 percent."

Franchitti competed in the first two IRL events this season before he fractured a vertebra in his back when the motorcycle he was riding in April developed a mechanical problem and crashed. After missing three races while recovering from the injury, Franchitti returned to the cockpit of the team's No. 27 Dallara/Honda at Pikes Peak International Raceway in June and finished fourth.

A week after that race, Franchitti elected to have surgery on his back and missed the remainder of the season.

Dr. Terry Trammell, who performed the surgery on Franchitti in July, said Franchitti was in the process of weaning himself out of the back brace he has been wearing since the operation.

"I would anticipate his healing process to continue normally, in which case he will be able to begin undertaking more vigorous activity in the near future," Trammell said. "Once he is healed, his risk of a spinal injury in the future will be no greater than it was before he was injured."

Franchitti, 30, finished seventh in the IRL season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway and was 16th after suffering a mechanical failure at Phoenix International Raceway before he was injured. Franchitti this season moved to the IRL from CART, where he posted 10 victories and 11 poles in six seasons.

"Andretti Green Racing is really looking forward to having Dario back full-time next season," team co-owner Michael Andretti said. "Dario will definitely give Andretti Green and Honda another real shot at winning the series championship because of his technical feedback, his team leadership and, obviously, his proven ability to win."

The 2004 IRL season opens Feb. 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Montoya, who finished third in the World Championship this season, will make the move once his contract with the BMW-Williams team expires at the end of next season. Montoya has won three races and 11 poles in three seasons since moving from CART to Formula One.

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