Dario Franchitti Scottish racing driver Date of Birth: 19.05.1973 Country: USA

1. Biography of Dario Franchitti
2. Early Career
3. International Career
4. IndyCar Success
5. NASCAR Career and Personal Life

Biography of Dario Franchitti

Dario Franchitti, a Scottish racing driver of Italian descent, was born on May 19, 1973, in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland. When Dario was eight years old, his family moved to nearby Whitburn. He attended Stewart's Melville College.

Early Career

Franchitti began his racing career in 1984 in karting. He won the Scottish Junior Championship in 1984 and the British Junior Championship in the following two years. In 1988, he became the British Adult Champion. He then entered the Formula Vauxhall series in 1989 and won the championship in 1991. In the same year, he was awarded the "McLaren/Autosport" Young Driver of the Year. In 1993, Franchitti won the Formula Vauxhall- Lotus series and moved on to compete in the British F3 championship, finishing in fourth place.

International Career

Franchitti received a contract to compete in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) in 1994, where he finished fifth. He also participated in the International Touring Car Series (ITC) under the auspices of the FIA, finishing third and winning one race. In 1996, Franchitti won another race and finished fourth overall. Following the collapse of the championship in 1996, he signed with Mercedes, moved to the United States, and began racing in the Champcar series for Hogan Racing. In the next season, he joined Team Green and experienced a significant improvement in his performance, winning three races and finishing third in the championship.

IndyCar Success

In 1999, Franchitti narrowly missed winning the series championship, tying with Juan Pablo Montoya in overall points but losing the title due to Montoya's seven race wins compared to Franchitti's three. That year, a close friend of Franchitti, Canadian driver Greg Moore, tragically passed away in a racing accident. In 2007, Franchitti became the champion of the IRL IndyCar series, winning four races, including the prestigious Indy 500 in Indianapolis.

NASCAR Career and Personal Life

After his success in IndyCar, Franchitti made the transition to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series in 2008 but struggled to achieve the same level of success. He suffered from injuries and ended up finishing in the lower positions. In 2013, Franchitti and his wife, American actress Ashley Judd, divorced. Throughout their marriage, Judd became a passionate racing fan and attended all of Franchitti's races, offering her unwavering support.

Throughout his career, Franchitti competed in 65 races and won eight. He is regarded as one of the most successful Scottish racing drivers and has left a lasting impact on the world of motorsports.