Car racing enthusiasts are well aware that the UK is the country that has given the world many great racers. In the galaxy of famous pilots, a special place is occupied by a man whose name is Franchitti Dario. This outstanding athlete of Italian descent will be discussed in this article.
Some facts from the life of a celebrity
The British car racer was born on May 19, 1973 in a family of immigrants from Italy living in the UK. His parents were George and Marina Franchitti. The athlete also has a younger brother, Marino, who also takes part in sports races.
Frankitti Dario spent quite a lot of time in the United States of America, where he often spoke with local stars of the world of show business and culture. In this bohemian environment, he found a wife. In 2001, the British met Hollywood actress Ashley Judd and married her. The wife often went with her missus to various competitions, but this did not save the family from decay. The couple lived together for 12 years and in 2013 officially divorced.
The beginning of a sports career
For the first time, a Franchitti Dario map got into a car during his college years. The young man was so fascinated by the ride that he began to hone his skills. Already in 1984, he first won the Scottish championship among juniors. The next year, the guy again takes first place in similar competitions in the UK in various classes.
In 1991, the Scot made his debut in racing cars with open wheels. Competitions were held in the junior tournament of Britain "Formula - Vauxhall". Already in the first season, Dario takes the first championship title in his life, having managed to win in four races.
The next two seasons the rider spends in the same competitions, but among adults. Gradually, the Briton goes to the top and in 1993 takes the next champion trophy, winning six races out of thirteen held.
Transition to Formula 3
Skill, speed and stability were noted by experts and sponsors, thanks to which Franchitti Dario in 1994 appears in the British Formula 3 race.
The first season in these competitions turned out to be rather ambiguous. And all because the pilot quickly got used to the competition, constantly fought for leadership, even won the debut race and ended the season in the 4th position. However, his teammate Magnussen, having the same performance experience, was able to win in fourteen races out of eighteen and twice beat Dario on points.
DTM Championship
Formula racing did not receive the required funding, and in 1995 the British race car driver went into DTM racing, where he spent two seasons until the project was closed.
Dario’s new cars did not cause any serious difficulties. He was even able to get ahead of Magnussen, often finding himself in front of him in a Mercedes car. Also, our hero with enviable constancy fought for the palm in every race and was always in high positions in the overall standings.
Relocation to North America
In 1997, the Briton signed an employment contract with the Hogan Racing team, performing in the CART series championship. The first season was not very successful for the rider, but nevertheless he managed to prove himself and the next year to move to a richer team - Team Green. With the new team, the rider wins three races, and in the individual competition is second only to recognized competition authorities.
However, already in 2000, the Scot significantly slowed down and ended the season in the thirteenth position, having behind him a large number of early departures from the race.
In 2002, Dario ranks fourth in the overall standings. In the same year, the team went on to the championship under the name Indy Racing League. In this tournament, the Briton performed with varying success: he either became the champion in the 2007 season, or missed the race because of injuries.
In 2005, Dario Franchitti, whose personal life was still stable at that time (he was married), first went to the start of the marathon held in Dayton. It was a daily race.
From 2007 to 2008, the pilot tried his hand at racing stock cars. There he spent 30 races and even won one pole position, but more often he got into various accidents and quickly enough found himself without external funding for his car.
In 2009, the Scotsman again managed to become a champion, successfully taking advantage of the flaws of the New Zealander Ryan Briscoe.
In 2011, the Australian rival Will Power was the main competitor for the Scottish leadership. The fight for the title lasted until the last race in which Will had an accident and eventually lost the championship.
The year 2013 became a big change in the fate of Dario. It was then that in the Houston Grand Prix race on the last lap there was a terrible collision of British cars and AJ Viso. As a result of the accident, Franchitti broke his ankle, injured his spine and head. Having got acquainted with the opinion of doctors about his health, Dario ultimately decided to end his racing career. Today, he holds the position of one of the strategists in the Ganassi team.