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Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti announced Thursday afternoon that he will no longer get behind the wheel of a race car.
The 40-year old racer suffered two fractured vertebrae, a broken ankle and a concussion Oct. 6 in a crash that catapulted his car nose-first into the catch fence at the conclusion of the Houston Grand Prix.
Franchitti said the doctors treating his head and spinal injuries in the month since the crash have advised him to stop racing.
“They have made it 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,” Franchitti said in a statement.
He said he hopes to eventually work in some off-track capacity with the IndyCar series, and plans to talk with Chip Gannassi about ways he can stay involved with his team.
“I love open-wheel racing and want to see it succeed,” Franchitti said.
In a statement posted later in the afternoon on Twitter, Ganassi called Franchitti a motorsport legend who was a student of the sport – appreciating both the science and history of his sport.
“This news only serves as the start of the next chapter in Dario Franchitti’s racing career,” he said.
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