Franchitti still nursing injury, unsure of when he'll return

By Jeff Gluck - Associate Editor

Monday, May 12, 2008

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Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Dario Franchitti (left) talks with Sterling Marlin during practice last weekend.

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DARLINGTON, S.C. – Dario Franchitti continues to heal from the broken left ankle he sustained during a Nationwide Series race at Talladega last month, with no firm timetable for his return.

“There’s not really been any change,” Franchitti said Saturday. “I’m just waiting for the swelling to go down and the pain to go away, and for the fracture to heal. When those things go away, I’ll be able to drive the car again.”

Sterling Marlin drove Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 40 car at Darlington, and could do so again at Charlotte if Franchitti is not ready.

Franchitti has been monitoring the amount of pressure he puts on his ankle. After a couple hours of walking around, Franchitti elevates his leg and uses a boot that circulates cold water through it to alleviate the swelling.

He had considered testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but the doctor nixed that idea. Franchitti obliged, remembering how he rushed back from injuries earlier in his career to mixed results.

“I’ve done that two or three times in my career and probably regretted it in the long run,” he said. “Especially as new as all this is to me, I’ve got to be 100 percent before I get back in the car.”

Franchitti said he realized that competing for rookie of the year honors in both the Cup and Nationwide series would now be a longshot, but that healing his ankle fully was best for his future.

He recently traveled to Indianapolis – not to ponder racing in the Indy 500, where he is the reigning champion, but to get fitted for a carbon fiber brace that supports his ankle. He’ll use the brace when he returns to the car.