Here are all the important details to know about him.
Interesting Facts About Dario Franchitti
1. Dario Franchitti was born and brought up in Scotland
It was in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland that George Dario Marino Franchitti was born on May 19, 1973. This means he is currently years old. Of Italian roots, was brought up by his parents, George Franchitti and Marina Franchitti alongside his brother, Marino Franchitti, and sister, Carla.
His father had an ice cream business which he later sold while his mum provided support for the family.
2. He is from a family of car racers
Dario Franchitti. is not the only member of his family that got into the car racing sport as his younger brother, Marino Franchitti is also in the sport. His cousin, Paul di Resta is also a racing driver while Stefan, who is Paul’s brother was an amateur racer.
3. Dario Franchitti has enjoyed a great career
Now a commentator, Franchitti had a rather amazing career that began in the early 1990s. He won his first IndyCar Series in 2007 and went on to win three more in 2009, 2010, and 2011. In 2007, he also won his first Indianapolis 500. He went on to win two more in 2010 and 2012. He was also the 2008 winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona.
4. Dario got married to Ashley Judd in 2001
The love story between Franchitti and Judd began in 1999 when they met for the first time at a wedding reception. Before then, they did not know about each other but were set up by their mutual friends. After dating and getting engaged for two years, they got married in Scotland in December 2001 in the presence of close friends and family members.
While Franchitti’s brother, Marino Franchitti, was the best man, Ashley’s sister, Wynonna Judd who is famous as a country singer was the maid of honor.
5. They divorced in 2013 with no kids
Ashley Judd and Dario Franchitti were not just a lovely couple, they were also a power couple. Their marriage was believed to mostly be a happy one, but it wasn’t one to sustain for a very long time as, by 2013, the pair announced that they were getting a divorce.
In a statement they released, they made it clear that they were going their separate ways but they would always cherish their love, integrity, and respect and that they would always be a family.
That said, the union did not produce any children as Judd made it clear that she did not want to have any kids because she felt there was no need to have children since there were still many kids in the world starving. This was believed to be one of the reasons why the marriage came to an end.
6. Franchitti is now married to Eleanor Robb
Not too long after the divorce, Franchitti found love in another woman, Eleanor Robb whom he later married. Now known as Eleanor Franchitti, she is an Englishwoman. The couple had their first daughter, Sofia Franchitti in 2015 and then in 2019, they welcomed their second daughter, Valentina Franchitti.
Ellie, as she is referred to, is a lover of horses, together with her daughters. Needless to say, the couple and their children are enjoying their family life as they always share their family pictures on social media.
See Also: Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel: Life And Death Of David Attenborough’s Wife
7. He remained close to his ex-wife after their divorce
Even though their marriage did not last forever, the two have managed to remain very close. As their divorce was not an acrimonious one, they made it known that their friendship still holds and they consider themselves family.
Ashley Judd and Dario Franchitti became closer in 2014 after he suffered an accident and they started dating again, but it didn’t last long, hence they continued as friends.
Interestingly, Judd is the godmother of the first daughter of Franchitti, Sofia.