Imago
Dario Franchitti GBR im Fahrerlager, Formula E FIA Weltmeisterschaft, Saison 8, Mexiko- City E- Prix, 11.02.2022, MEX, TV, Fernsehen, dreimaliger Sieger des Indiannapolis 500, 4 facher Indy Car Meister. TV, Fernsehen *** Dario Franchitti GBR in the paddock, Formula E FIA World Championship, season 8, Mexico City E Prix, 11 02 2022, MEX, TV, television, three-time winner of Indiannapolis 500, 4-time Indy Car champion TV, television.
Imago
Dario Franchitti GBR im Fahrerlager, Formula E FIA Weltmeisterschaft, Saison 8, Mexiko- City E- Prix, 11.02.2022, MEX, TV, Fernsehen, dreimaliger Sieger des Indiannapolis 500, 4 facher Indy Car Meister. TV, Fernsehen *** Dario Franchitti GBR in the paddock, Formula E FIA World Championship, season 8, Mexico City E Prix, 11 02 2022, MEX, TV, television, three-time winner of Indiannapolis 500, 4-time Indy Car champion TV, television.
Tony Stewart’s surprise return announcement to Daytona in the Truck Series sent shockwaves through the motorsports world. It reignited nostalgia and reminded fans why “Smoke” remains one of NASCAR’s most electric personalities. His comeback instantly became the headline of the 2026 pre-season. Until another legend stepped forward. Just days later, another giant of American racing is set to reclaim the spotlight. A driver whose versatility, international pedigree, and unfinished business in stock cars make his return every bit as compelling. And now, he’s headed back to NASCAR for a one-off appearance that nobody saw coming.
Dario Franchitti’s stunning one-off NASCAR return
“I still like winning,” the 52-year-old Hall of Famer told RACER. “But that is not the primary reason, not even the secondary reason for doing it. As time has gone on, (former colleague) Kyle Moyer helped me realize this. He said in Barry Green’s book that I never raced against other people. I always raced against myself, and I was always about maximizing myself. And so this is that.”
With that mindset, Dario Franchitti is officially returning to NASCAR for a one-off appearance at St. Petersburg, partnering with the defending Craftsman Truck Series champions, Tricon Garage. It’s a move few saw coming, and yet one that feels strangely poetic.
The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time IndyCar Series champion first crossed into NASCAR back in 2008 with Chip Ganassi Racing. Across his NASCAR tenure, Franchitti made 25 starts spanning all three national series, with his top highlight being a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen in the Xfinity Series. His transition was short-lived, halted by injuries and a quick return to IndyCar in 2009, where he went on to win three more titles before his career-ending crash in Houston in 2013.
“I got the opportunity from literally a conversation with Jimmie. I said I thought it would be fun, I thought it’d be interesting to push myself again, to test myself, to do the whole process of trying to be competitive again.” https://t.co/ZFFVQ2Gcjy
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) February 3, 2026
Now, 13 years after his retirement, Franchitti returns to stock-car racing at a venue intertwined with his present life. St. Pete, home of IndyCar’s season opener, is where he now works as an advisor for Ganassi’s team. The ride came together thanks to his close friend, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who facilitated the opportunity through Legacy Motor Club in partnership with Tricon. Sporting Dollar Tree colors, Franchitti’s No. 1 Toyota Tundra will have Johnson himself atop the timing stand.
With Tony Stewart returning to Daytona and Franchitti climbing back into a NASCAR truck, the 2026 season is suddenly bursting with unexpected comebacks. And with the season kicking off in just two weeks, fans are already wondering: who might be the next legend to step back into the spotlight?
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A return that once seemed impossible
Dario Franchitti’s comeback is even more remarkable when viewed through the lens of his 2013 retirement. If you may remember, it wasn’t just abrupt, but medically unavoidable. His final professional race came on October 6, 2013, during the Grand Prix of Houston, where a last-lap collision with Takuma Sato launched his car into the catchfence in a terrifying crash that rattled the motorsports world. The impact left Franchitti with two fractured vertebrae, a broken right ankle, and a concussion so severe it caused five weeks of memory loss.
In the weeks that followed, the injuries demanded extensive recovery. The then-40-year-old underwent two ankle surgeries and eventually returned to Scotland to continue rehabilitation. But the toughest blow came on November 14, 2013, when he announced his retirement based on medical advice that further head or spinal trauma could be catastrophic.
“One month removed from the crash and based upon 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,” Franchitti said back then. “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.”
And now, more than a decade later, his unexpected return (carefully limited, fully supported, and deeply personal) feels like a moment fans never thought they’d witness again. While no one expects a full-time comeback, Franchitti’s appearance at St. Pete is a symbolic victory of its own.
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