BATHGATE'S Dario Franchitti has paid the price for a less than successful first half of the Nascar season by being dropped from the Chip Ganassi Racing team for the remainder of the Sprint Cup championship.
The 35-year-old Scot, who last year won both the IndyCar Championship and the Indianapolis 500, has struggled to transfer his race results from open wheel racing to the American stock car series. As a result of the announcement made yesterday, in whi
ch Ganassi confirmed it will reduce its racing operation to two cars, Franchitti will sit out next weekend's Coke-Zero 400 at Daytona.
The team personnel working on the Scot's No.40 Dodge have also been laid off. It's understood the decision was made following the team's failure to attract a full-time sponsor for Franchitti's car. The car was financed by race-by-race deals with different companies.
"This is a difficult decision for co-owner Felix Sabates and I that did not come without its share of anguish," Chip Ganassi said. "In this tough business environment, continuing to run the car without proper funding has become increasingly difficult."
However, despite Franchitti's disappointment at being dumped from the Ganassi Sprint Cup assault, the team remains committed to developing his career in stock cars. However, Ganassi refused to confirm whether the Scot will continue to drive for them in the Nationwide Series.
The full article contains 240 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
