Dario Franchitti

Dario Franchitti (born May 19, 1973 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish race car driver, formerly a competitor in the Champcar series (between 1997 and 2002) and currently driving in the Indy Racing League.

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Franchitti finished as the runner-up in the 1999 ChampCar (then FedEx CART) series behind Juan Pablo Montoya. Both drivers finished the season with a score of 212 points, but Montoya had more wins in the year (seven to Franchitti's three) and was thus crowned champion. Franchitti's close friend Greg Moore died in a crash during the final race of the year.

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A heavy crash in pre-season testing the next year ruined his 2000 season, and he only won once in 2001, before finishing 4th in ChampCar in 2002.

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Franchitti moved with the Andretti/Green team to the Indy Racing League in 2003 but his season was ended by a back injury sustained in a motorcycle accident while on holiday in Scotland. Franchitti missed most of the year, and his place was taken by Robby Gordon at Indianapolis and Bryan Herta for the remainder of the year. Franchitti returned to the cockpit in 2004, and won races at Milwaukee and Pikes Peak.

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As of end of the 2004 season Franchitti has ten Champcar race victories and two IRL victories.

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Franchitti married American actress Ashley Judd at Skibo Castle near Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland.

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May 19: May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). There are 226 days remaining....

1973: 1973 was a common year starting on Monday....

Edinburgh: Edinburgh (pronounced ), D?n ?ideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and is the country's capital city....