Franchitti to drive Honda two-seater IndyCar at Gateway
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will return to the cockpit this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway, Gateway, to drive Honda’s two-seat IndyCar at the start of the Sunday race.
Franchitti was forced to end his 17-season Indy car career at least a year before he had intended after a huge accident at Houston in September 2013 left him with severe concussion and an ankle injury.
Since then, the Bathgate, Scotland native has demonstrated and occasionally raced historic racecars, but this will be his first time piloting the Honda’s traditional “Fastest Seat in Sports” two-seat Indy car. That program is now in its 11th year, and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week, one of its regular drivers, Mario Andretti, took son Michael around before the 500.
Franchitti will lead the pack around the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway for Sunday’s Race 2 in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. His passenger will be Kerry Robinson, former MLB outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals for whom he is now a talent scout.
“I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of an Indy car, especially one with Honda power, although I certainly didn’t expect to have a passenger,” said Franchitti, who scored all of his 31 Indy car wins with Honda power. “It will be fun to return to the track here at St. Louis, since I believe this is the place where I led an Indy car race for the first time, back in 1997.”
Since his retirement in 2013, Franchitti has continued working Chip Ganassi Racing for whom he scored two of his three Indy wins and three of his four IndyCar titles. Primarily his work has been as driver coach and adviser, in which capacity he currently helps Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Ericsson.
All 31 of Dario's Indy car wins came at the wheel of Honda-powered cars. This was his final triumph, at the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
Photo by: Kenneth May
Previous article
IndyCar Nashville street race meetings “extremely productive”
Next article
IndyCar Gateway: O’Ward leads Power in practice
About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Event | Gateway |
| Drivers | Dario Franchitti |
| Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
Opening day of Indy500 testing
Rinus VeeKay crashes during Indy 500 test
IndyCar: Defy Everything
IndyCar: Drivers Test at Texas Motor Speedway
IndyCar: Push-to-Pass test
Is Arrow McLaren SP ready for IndyCar’s title fight?
With Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up, 2021 could be the year Arrow McLaren SP-Chevrolet joins the IndyCar elite, writes David Malsher-Lopez.
Dale Coyne picks the Top 10 drivers in his giant-slaying team
Over 37 seasons, Dale Coyne has run no fewer than 80 Indy car drivers – including himself! Ahead of his first season running Romain Grosjean, we asked Coyne to pick the best 10 drivers ever to compete for him. By David Malsher-Lopez.
Why enigmatic Marco Andretti will be missed
Last Friday, Marco Andretti announced he is withdrawing from fulltime IndyCar racing. David Malsher-Lopez explains how this third-gen racer was a puzzle in the car, but a straight shooter off-track.
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Is the mighty McLaren M16 the greatest ever Indy car?
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indy car game-changer that won three Indy 500s in six years.
How Newgarden delivered his best season, yet still lost
Josef Newgarden was our pick as top IndyCar driver of 2020 but his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield the championship. David Malsher-Lopez explains why.
2020 IndyCar Review and Top 10 drivers of the year
David Malsher-Lopez explains how the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series was unlike any other, and why it featured familiar and unfamiliar faces competing for glory.
How Dixon won his sixth IndyCar title, in his own words
Chip Ganassi Racing’s newly crowned six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon takes us round by round through his remarkable season. David Malsher-Lopez listens.
