Dario Franchitti will miss the Indianapolis 500 and perhaps all three of the Indy Racing League’s races in June, his team confirmed Friday. Franchitti suffered a lumbar fracture of his back when he crashed on his motorcycle April 4. Dr. Terry Trammell said the fracture does not require surgery but does require bracing for approximately three months. AGR officials do not expect to name a replacement until next week, but team co-owner Kim Green admitted Friday he wants to know the availability of Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon. Stewart, the Winston Cup champion, previously said he was not interested in competing in the 500 this year.( Indianapolis Star ), since this is Michael Andretti’s team and his cousin John is looking for an Indy 500 ride……..(4-19-2003) UPDATE – Stewart to replace Franchitti: ESPN.com has learned that defending NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart will replace Dario Franchitti on Andretti’s team for the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500. Stewart, who will run alongside rookie Dan Wheldon, Andretti and Tony Kanaan (if he’s healthy enough), will start testing one of the Andretti-Green Dallara/Hondas this Wednesday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The versatile 32-year-old native of Columbus, Ind., had previously said despite his passion for Indy, he wouldn’t jeopardize his Winston Cup effort by running Indy and Charlotte on the same day — like he did in 1999 and 2001. Racing USAC midgets in Modesto, Calif. on Saturday night, he could not be reached for comment. But, evidently, the opportunity to drive one of the factory Hondas for one of the best teams was too good to pass up. The NASCAR schedule is very accomodating to Stewart. There is no Cup race the first weekend of qualifying at Indy (May 10-11) so he’ll be able to come right from his stock car show at Richmond, Va., on May 4 and practice that entire first week leading up to time trials. NASCAR runs The Winston on May 17 at Charlotte, N.C., as a prelude to the annual Coca Cola 600 on the evening of May 25.( EPSN )(4-20-2003) UPDATE 2: Tony Stewart might change his mind and participate in next month’s Indianapolis 500. But he has not decided yet, he told The Star on Sunday. “When I’m ready to say something, we’ll send out a press release,” he said. However, Stewart denied weekend reports that he will join Andretti Green Racing for this week’s test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the upcoming race. He said he has not spoken with anyone from Michael Andretti’s team, which needs a replacement for injured Dario Franchitti (fractured back). “(The Internet) was the first I’d heard about (the possibility),” Stewart said. A team source said late Sunday that no driver decision has been made and won’t be before Tuesday.( Indianapolis Star ) AND Mentioned as possible replacements for Franchitti are Winston Cup drivers Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon, both of whom have experience doing double duty racing in the Indy 500 on the Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend, then flying to suburban Charlotte to drive in the Cup race that night. A report on espn.com said that Stewart has agreed to fill in for Franchitti, but a spokesman for Stewart dismissed the report as a rumor and said that Stewart is expected to honor a preseason pledge not to race at Indianapolis this year. Stewart grew up in Indiana dreaming about winning the Indy 500, but he said in January that he wouldn’t try it this year because it might distract him from defending his 2002 Winston Cup championship. Stewart already has scheduled personal appearances during times he would have had to be in Indianapolis if he were to race in the Indy 500. Gordon wants to do both races but hasn’t been able to secure sponsorship money. Andretti’s cousin John, another Cup driver who has done double duty, also has expressed interest in doing both races.( USA Today )(4-21-2003) UPDATE 3: Reigning Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart said Monday he will not enter the 2003 Indianapolis 500, disputing a report on ESPN.com claiming he would take the place of injured driver Dario Franchitti. “It’s flattering to know that my name still comes up this time of year as someone teams want to have in their car at Indy,” Stewart said in a statement. “But as I’ve said from the beginning of the season, I am not going to compete in the Indianapolis 500, and my reasons are still the same.” At preseason Winston Cup testing in Daytona Beach, Fla., Stewart said he was going to focus on his Joe Gibbs Racing team this season. He reiterated that stance Monday. “There are 200 employees at Joe Gibbs Racing, making all sorts of sacrifices to provide me with everything I need to go out and win races. And when you go back and forth between Indy and Charlotte, it puts a strain on the entire team,” he said. “As much as my heart wants to do it, I can’t justify putting my personal ambitions ahead of the sacrifices made by my race team.”( ThatsRacin.com )(4-21-2003)
