Dario's Retirement

I'll be honest, Dario Franchitti was my "most hated" IndyCar driver. I thought he was a dirty driver who whined too often, and I always rooted for him to finish last. But that being said, I still read the news of his retirement yesterday with a tear in my eye.

After his scary crash in Houston, many of us speculated that this would be the end of Dario's legendary career. At 40 years old, we wondered how much longer he could put himself through the physical demands and risks of open-wheel racing. So the announcement was not completely unexpected, but still surprising and disappointing. It's never easy when an athlete of any sport leaves on terms that were not their own. Injuries have cut short many a promising career. In this case, Dario has already had a promising career, and we were looking forward to the final chapter of it. Unfortunately we'll never get to see how that story might have unfolded.

Dario's IndyCar legacy is cemented. He is a four-time series champion, which ranks only second behind AJ Foyt on the all-time list.  More significantly, he is a three-time Indy 500 winner, who you know is most disappointed that he won't get a chance at a fourth win. In fact, his final IndyCar victory will stand as the 2012 Indy 500, with his face etched on both sides of his buddy Dan Wheldon on the Borg-Warner Trophy. He was the face of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, who now faces the unenviable task of replacing a legend. Dario surely deserves a place in the IndyCar Hall of Fame.

Make no mistake about it, Dario will be missed, even by me, the fan who cheered against him. He gave the sport a much-needed rivalry. His tussles with Will Power will long be remembered as one of the great motorsports rivalries of our time, even more so because the two hailed from the top two IndyCar teams, Penske and Ganassi. Dario is also a good-looking, charismatic personality that attracted a lot of fans. He is one of the few true IndyCar celebrities, whose fame was elevated due to his marriage to a Hollywood actress. When news of his retirement makes the national news as it did, you know he's not just another race car driver. I'm sure Dario will continue to be involved in IndyCar but it will be strange not seeing him in a race car next year.

In the end, Dario made a decision we should all respect and admire. As the NFL has shown us lately, concussions are not something to take lightly. I'm sure he was heartbroken when doctors told him he should not race again, and it could not have been an easy decision to walk away from the car. But it's the right decision. Dario is taking control of his health, which is something we must all do. It's never easy to leave something you truly love, but sometimes we must act with our heads, not our hearts. It's a shame that Dario's excellent career was cut short by a horrific accident, yet that accident could have been so much worse. Today we are looking back and celebrating a brilliant racing career, not a life lost. Dario has much more to give to the world of racing.

Thank you for the memories, Dario. Even though I rooted against you, I respect your achievements and I will miss seeing you in the DW12 next year. On to the next chapter...