AUGUST 6, 2007

Dario's lucky escape

IndyCar championship leader Dario Franchitti had a major accident at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday when his car rubbed wheels with Dan Wheldon's Chip Ganassi car at 211mph. The Scotsman's car turned sideways and rode over the nose of Wheldon's car, flying into the air and then landing in the path of the chasing cars. It came down to earth, upside-down and was hit by Scott Dixon, who was very lucky not to be hit on the head by the flying chassis. He was then hit by AJ Foyt IV as well. The car caame to rest upside-down and rescue crews were immediately on the scene, but Franchitti was able to gte out of the car without assistance once it had be turned over.

"I found myself up in the air, backwards about 30 feet in the air," he said. "I was just hoping it wasn't going to hurt when I came down. I was just thinking, 'Hang on tight.' You've got the belts and the HANS device and you've just got to hope they do their job. I'm a lucky guy."

Foyt's helmet had tyre marks from Franchitti's car.

"We were really lucky," he said.

The race was won by Tony Kanaan although Danica Patrick was right in the hunt until the 187th of 200 laps when she had to pit for a puncture.