Franchitti survives horror crash 07 | 10 | 2013
SCOTS MULTIPLE INDYCAR champ, Dario Franchitti, has again miraculously survived a horror high speed crash. The 40-year-old from Bathgate suffered a fractured vertebra in his back, and broke his right ankle in the crash at Houston.
Franchitti's Ganassi racer caught the rear of an out-of-shape Takuma Sato on the final lap of the race at Houston.
The Scot's car speared skywards, hitting the catch-fencing at an angle of 45-degrees with its nose pointing upwards. The impact then pitched Franchitti and his car into a violent airborne spin, before miraculously landing the right way up back on the track. All four wheels had been ripped from the car.
As the car slowly ground to a halt in the middle of the track, surrounded by debris, Franchitti — the four-time IndyCar champ, and three-time Indy500 winner — sat motionless.
He was then extracted by medical crews, and was taken directly to the nearby Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Centre, where he was assessed and found to have suffered a concussion, a fractured vertebra that will not require surgery, and a fractured right ankle.
He has been kept in hospital overnight.
Related: Dario and his close friend Dan
Franchitti's team owner Chip Ganassi said: "His ankle and back are a little sore. He is going to be okay."
IndyCar later released a statement confirming Franchitti was awake on his arrival at the hospital and would be monitored overnight
The statement read: "IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dario Franchitti was admitted awake and alert to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston for a concussion, spinal fracture that will require no surgery, and a fracture to the right ankle. He will be kept overnight."
Franchitti's former team-mate Dan Wheldon, from England, died in a crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300 in October 2011. Will Power, who won the Grand Prix, said the accident reminded him of the Las Vegas crash, where he and Dan Wheldon both hit the fence.
"Yes, that's what it reminded me of," he said. "I just saw Dario's car and him sitting in it with a lot of damage. I hate seeing that. We try to keep these cars on the ground."
And Franchitti's cousin, F1 racer Paul di Resta, sent him a 'get well' massage from Japan.
"I've seen the crash, and it looked a bad one," Di Resta, who crashed out of yesterday's Korea Grand Prix in his Sahara Force India, said. "Hopefully Dario will soon make a full recovery, and be back to full fitness."
Related: Franchitti wins in Baltimore
Meanwhile, race organisers have confirmed that 14 spectators were injured when a piece of catch fencing that was torn loose during Franchitti's accident landed in a nearby grandstand.
"Following an accident that occurred on-track at the Grand Prix of Houston this afternoon our greatest concern is for our fans and participants," a joint statement from race promoter Mi-Jack Promotions, Reliant Park, and IndyCar, said.
"An IndyCar official and IndyCar driver, Dario Franchitti, along with two fans were transferred to an area hospital for evaluation. Eleven fans were additionally evaluated on site.
"Officials are investigating the incident and currently do not have further information at this time. Fan and driver safety are always a primary concern and we will provide further details as they are available."
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Jim McGill