Dario Franchitti who is a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner was taken off the Reliant Park on a stretcher during Sunday’s Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston 2. While Franchitti was on his last lap for Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix his car lost control and went airborne. The debris from the Franchitti wreck left over a dozen spectators injured.
Before the crash occurred Franchitti was battling for track position with Takuma Sato late in the race. Takuma Sato ending up bumping Franchitti’s No.10 car which triggered a three-car accident with E.J. Visto in the middle of the turn five.
Since Franchitti car was traveling at a high of speed, his car went flying into the air and collided hard with the outside retaining wall that protects fans from the vechiles.When the race was finished, medical personnel rushed to the 40 year-old Franchitti driver side to attempt to extricate him from the car. Franchitti was kept in the car for several minutes until the ambulance arrived on the scene. Dario was placed into a head and neck restraints on a stretcher and was sent to a local hospital. Franchitti suffered two broken vertebrae , a fractured right ankle and a concussion in a scary crash that almost ended his life.
Sato finished 10th, Franchitti 11th and Viso 12th following the accident. Will Power ended up winning the race for Sunday’s Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix. What can be changed to make car races more safe for spectators? Does there need to a review on safety for race drivers? Will Franchitti be able to do another race again? Only time will tell on whether their will be changes to the format to racing.