HOUSTON – After surviving a high-speed crash during the Grand Prix of Houston's last lap, IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti continued to recover Tuesday at Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing spokesman Kelby Krauss said Monday Franchitti is still "a few days away" from undergoing a second surgery to repair a broken ankle. That procedure will be performed by doctors in Indianapolis once Franchitti is released from the hospital in Houston.
An initial ankle surgery was performed Sunday after Franchitti's car slammed into the wall at Reliant Park. The debris from the crash went flying into the grandstands, injuring more 13 spectators and an IndyCar official.
Only Franchitti remains hospitalized. The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner also suffered a concussion and two fractured vertebrae that did not require surgery.
According to his spokesman, Franchitti's family has flown to Houston from Scotland to be by his side at Memorial Hermann Hospital.
His brother, Marino Franchitti, who is also a race car driver, thanked well-wishers via Twitter. So did Franchitti's ex-wife actress Ashley Judd, who is also in Houston to be with Dario.
The #GetWellDario has also sparked hundreds of well wishes including one from Dan Wheldon's sister Holly.
Dan Wheldon was the IndyCar driver killed during a race in Las Vegas two years ago. His death prompted calls for protective fences like the ones that experts said saved lives this Sunday at Reliant Park when Franchitti's car went airborne toward the grandstands.