Franchitti to drive Indy 500 pace car

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti of Scotland was named Tuesday as pace car driver for this year's 98th running of the famed IndyCar oval race on May 25. The four-time IndyCar season champion retired from racing last November after a near-fatal crash in an October 6 race at Houston. The Scotsman, who will turn 41 six days before the race, sustained a broken right ankle and fractured two spinal vertebrae in addition to cracking two ribs and suffering a concussion in the mishap. This time, Franchitti will guide a Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 around the famed 2 1/2-mile (4km) oval rather than his previous Honda-powered open-wheel racecar. "This race more than any is very close to my heart," Franchitti said. "The Indianapolis 500 is the most special race in the world to me. And to be allowed to drive the pace car here is a really cool thing." Franchitti won the Indy 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012, the latter being the last of his 31 career IndyCar triumphs. The Scotsman never claimed the pole position at Indy, his best starting spot being the outside of the front row, but he will lead the cars around the track before pulling into pit row just before the green flag waves. "I never managed to qualify on the pole here at Indy, so I have to pace the field somehow," Franchitti said. "To start out front there will be pretty cool, but the sad part is that I will have to cool off when they throw the green. "They are going to have to tell me to cool off. I might try to lead the first lap." Franchitti, who led a total of 329 Indy 500 laps over 10 races, now helps with driver development for his former car owner, Chip Ganassi, whose lineup includes reigning IndyCar season champion Scott Dixon of New Zealand, American Charlie Kimball, Australian Ryan Briscoe and reigning Indy 500 champion Tony Kanaan of Brazil, the new driver in Franchitti's former car. This year's IndyCar season opens Sunday in St. Petersburg, Florida. Source: AFP