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mnkywrch
04-08-03, 09:30 AM
FRANCHITTI TO MISS TWIN RING MOTEGI RACE



Indianapolis, Ind. (April 7, 2003) - Andretti Green Racing’s Dario Franchitti will be unable to compete in the Indy Racing League event at Twin Ring Motegi on April 11-13 as the result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident last week. Dan Wheldon will replace Franchitti in the #27 Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola Dallara-Honda at Twin Ring Motegi.

Franchitti’s injury consists of a slight fracture of the L1 vertebra. Dario, who makes his home in Nashville but was born and raised near Edinburgh, Scotland, was visiting his family en route to Japan and was riding his MV Agusta motorcycle at the time of the accident.

“The motorcycle had a mechanical problem,” said Franchitti. “I tried to slow down but, of course, that was a bit difficult under the circumstances and I wound-up crashing through a hedge and landing on my back.”

Franchitti was taken by ambulance to St. John’s Hospital in Edinburgh for treatment and x-rays, and spent Friday night in the hospital. Subsequently, an MRI was conducted at Ross Hall Hospital in Glasgow which revealed what Colin C. Mainds, F.R.C.S. termed “an anterior stable compression fracture of the L1” vertebra with “no posterior injury or canal compromise.”

“This is the first time in 19 years of racing that I’ve missed an event due to injury,” says Franchitti, “and I’m terribly disappointed to miss the Twin Ring Motegi race. I’ve always enjoyed racing at Twin Ring Motegi. It’s a sensational race track and a world class facility, and my Japanese fans have always been very supportive, dating back to the days when I raced touring cars there.

“It’s also a very important race for Honda, of course, and I’ m sorry I won’t be able to be there with my team to get Honda’s first win at Twin Ring Motegi. I will have to be satisfied rooting for my teammates at Andretti Green Racing - Dan, Tony Kanaan and Michael Andretti - to get the job done, which I know they are fully capable of doing.”

"First and most important I'm glad Dario is okay,” said Michael Andretti, AGR owner and driver. “Andretti Green needs him 100% healthy for Indy and the rest of the Indycar season because Dario is a vital part of this team."

Franchitti plans to remain in Scotland until the end of the week, when he will return to Indianapolis. Although he will not drive a race car for two-three weeks, Franchitti fully expects to be ready for the start of practice for the Indianapolis 500 in May.

racer2c
04-08-03, 09:43 AM
Bummer. As a rider myself I would love to know what the actual failure was on his bike. Shiny side up, Dario!

mapguy
04-08-03, 10:12 AM
MV Agusta, sweet (and expensive) ride. Methinks the failure was the brakes. The rider failing to get on them quickly enough.

mnkywrch
04-08-03, 10:15 AM
Originally posted by mapguy
MV Agusta, sweet (and expensive) ride. Methinks the failure was the brakes. The rider failing to get on them quickly enough.

*cough* stop making sense *cough*...

Not the first nor the last driver to injure themselves off the racetrack.

Joe in LA
04-08-03, 11:24 AM
I still think the all time classic off track injury was Niki Lauda in 1976(?) falling off a farm tractor. I can't recall if he missed the next race or was merely suffering a bit at the time.

lone_groover
04-08-03, 11:37 AM
Yup....Diarreah the sqid washed-out the front.

Case closed.

pchall
04-08-03, 12:15 PM
MV Agusta. Nice ride to do something stupid on.

Any time I've been on a bike that fine it wasn't mine and I had to be very careful.

BTW, has it occurred to anyone else that MV Agusta probably now could qualify as the third chassis supplier to the IRL to replace Falcon? ;)

RaceGrrl
04-08-03, 12:21 PM
I was a fan of CART Dario and felt betrayed when he left to become IRL Dario.

I don't follow him now, but I've never wished him ill health and have been concerned that he might end up with a spinal fracture courtesy of the crapwagons.

Regardless of the fact that he's a traitor to CART, I do hope he's better soon.

lone_groover
04-08-03, 04:31 PM
Originally posted by pchall
...BTW, has it occurred to anyone else that MV Agusta probably now could qualify as the third chassis supplier to the IRL to replace Falcon? ;)

Not a chance! Not with the Castiglione brothers - and the Cagiva braintrust that brought Ducati to the acme of the two wheeled world in the 90s - in charge.

Pointy shoe-wearing, cultivated latinz like Massimo Tamburini and Miguel Angel Galluzzi wouldn't FLY over Hooterville, even on a dare! These are tray classy people with boku bucks.

;)

racer2c
04-08-03, 05:51 PM
Originally posted by lone_groover
Not a chance! Not with the Castiglione brothers - and the Cagiva braintrust that brought Ducati to the acme of the two wheeled world in the 90s - in charge.

Pointy shoe-wearing, cultivated latinz like Massimo Tamburini and Miguel Angel Galluzzi wouldn't FLY over Hooterville, even on a dare! These are tray classy people with boku bucks.

;)

You know too much.

What's a 'Massimo'? Can I do wheelie on it?

skidmarks
04-09-03, 10:29 AM
AhHA another IRL back injury !

;)

IlliniRacer
04-09-03, 12:01 PM
He should feel EXTEMELY lucky. Just ask Jason Watt.

lone_groover
04-09-03, 12:11 PM
THE FATES: Dario hun, you can break it now or break it later.

DARIO: :cry: HUH?

RTKar
04-09-03, 07:17 PM
I always had liked Dario, I thought for sure he was going to be next at Jaguar. I don't for the life of me understand his move to the irl. Now getting a back injury and driving a crapwagon seems to have ominous tones to me. I'd rather see him retire than drive their. We don't need another Christopher Reeves. I never thought the inherent problems of the irl car were completely rectified after Sam Schmidts accident. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.

trubritz
04-09-03, 08:03 PM
Originally posted by IlliniRacer
He should feel EXTEMELY lucky. Just ask Jason Watt.

I second that.

Ed_Severson
04-10-03, 12:06 AM
"I don't for the life of me understand his move to the irl."

Allow me to summarize ...

Michael: "C'mon, Dario. CART's dead. Come with me."

Dario: "Oh, I don't know. I kind of like road course racing, and ..."

Michael: "I'll make you filthy rich."

Dario: "Bloody hell! Where do I sign?"

Just another money-hungry slimeball who can talk out of both sides of his mouth.