Dario Franchitti, the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, is set to return to NASCAR after an 18-year gap. The 52-year-old Scot will drive the No. 1 Toyota Tundra for TRICON Garage in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at St. Petersburg, Florida, later this month.
Franchitti announced his comeback this Tuesday after rumors of his return to NASCAR circulating since earlier this year. TRICON Garage confirmed the deal along with a partnership involving seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club.
TRICON Garage shared a video of the 52-year-old explaining how this opportunity came together.
“It all stemmed from a conversation with Jimmy Johnson. It had just been announced the truck race was going to happen at St Pete and I said to him, could I have a kind of fun? Next morning he calls me, he said, ‘Hey I found your truck,'” Dario Franchitti said.
“I retired in 2013 and I didn’t think I’d race again. This is about testing myself, about pushing myself and so this was just a chance to race on a circuit that I love and I do this because it’s about enjoyment and about the love of driving, the love of racing.”
Franchitti retired from full-time racing in 2013 after a serious crash in IndyCar. The four-time IndyCar champion spent many years as a broadcast analyst and as an adviser and coach for Chip Ganassi Racing. His last NASCAR starts came in 2007 and 2008, when he competed in a handful of events across the Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. His best finish in that period was fifth at Watkins Glen.
Dollar Tree will be the primary sponsor for his truck on Saturday, February 28, during the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend. It will be the series’ first street course on the Truck Series schedule.
Dario Franchitti Ended Professional Racing Hiatus at Dubai Endurance Race
Dario Franchitti’s violent crash in the IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston in October 2013 led to a fractured spine, a broken right ankle, and a concussion. Doctors told him that further racing would put his long-term health at serious risk, especially his brain and spinal health, so he stepped away from competition.
For many years after the accident, Franchitti stayed involved in motorsport as a commentator and in historic car events, but he did not race competitively. Then, in January 2026, the Scottish native entered the Michelin 24H Dubai endurance race as his first serious competition in over a decade.
Franchitti made his Dubai 24 and GT3 debut with Team Parker Racing to share the No. 31 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO on January 17-18.
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