Dario Franchitti has raced professionally for the last time. Ashley Judd's estranged husband announced via his official Twitter account on Thursday, Nov. 14 that he's retiring from race car driving because of injuries he suffered during an IndyCar crash last month.
"One month removed from the crash and based on the expert advice of the doctors who have treated and assessed my head and spinal injuries post accident, it is their best medical opinion that I must stop racing," he wrote. "They have made it very clear that the risks involved in further racing are too great and could be detrimental to my long term well-being. Based on this medical advice, I have no choice but to stop. Racing has been my life for over 30 years and it's really tough to think that the driving side is now over."
Franchitti, 40, got into a scary accident at the Grand Prix at Houston on Oct. 6, which left him with a broken right ankle, and two fractured vertebrae. He also suffered a concussion. (Fourteen other individuals — including 13 fans — were also injured from debris that flew into the air.)
Though Franchitti is closing this chapter, he has a bright future ahead. When hearing of his accident, Judd rushed to be by the racer's side at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
"They are going to give it another try after he recovers," an insider told Us Weekly at the time of the couple. "His accident made her realize how much she loves him." Franchitti and the Divergent actress announced their separation in January after 11 years of marriage, but neither filed for divorce.
