The three-time Indy 500 winner debuted at the International McRae Rally Challenge, and now has bigger plans
Photography by Peter Kiss
Words by David Evans, DirtFish Head of Media
He’s used to winning 500-mile races at Indianapolis at an average speed of 160mph, but those days are done – Dario Franchitti wants to be a rally driver now.
The four-time IndyCar champion (and three-time 500 winner) made his debut on the stages at last weekend’s International McRae Rally Challenge at Knockhill and enjoyed it so much, he’s heading for the trees. The Scot drove Mick Strafford’s fearsome Chevrolet Firenza Can Am and is looking to remain in the historic category.
“I’d love to do more,” Franchitti told DirtFish. “But, I need to do it properly. I need to go testing. I need to get myself a car and go testing and learn the surfaces because you can’t just jump in. Historic rallying would be the target – I’d love to do the Roger Albert Clark [Rally, a biennial five-day historic event in the UK].”
None of the above comes as any surprise. Franchitti – along with his brother Marino – has been a close friend of the McRae family for 30 years. And his debut on the dirt almost arrived at the top of the millennium.
Franchitti finished third in class on his first rally last weekend
Dario added: “Back when it was the old McRae Stages up in the forests, in the early 2000s, I remember him saying: ‘Right son, you’re coming to do the McRae Stages.’ So, I got on the internet and found this website in Switzerland that sold old crazy rally cars. I phoned Colin and said: ‘I’ve found it! I’ve found my car. It’s a Group 4 [Lancia] Stratos…’
“Colin went: ‘Err… no. We’ll find you a nice Mk2 Escort. You won’t last five minutes in a Stratos!’”
And now, a little later than planned, that time has come.
“I always had a very, very healthy respect for rally drivers, I really did,” Franchitti said. “They’re right up there with the guys that ride on the TT. Doing this [International McRae Rally Challenge], you’ve got three surfaces here, quite consistent stages, consistent weather; what rally drivers do, what they’ve done in the past and what they continue to do… boggles the mind, it’s bloody amazing.”
Franchitti was quick to pay tribute to his co-driver Andy Richardson, laughing: “Everybody should have a co-driver. It’s bloody brilliant! He tells me where I’ve got to be, what I’ve got to do. Obviously, I know the circuit very well, but I didn’t know the stage, so I was really listening and trying to interpret what Andy’s – that’s been interesting. It’s been an education, but his patience is endless. Even when I hit a tractor tire yesterday, he didn’t seem particularly stressed about it.”
Smile if you've caught the rallying bug...
Hit a tractor tire?
“Yeah… I over-committed to a hairpin and there was no escape. I pitched it sideways and we hit the tire. I did exactly what Colin would have wanted… I landed, selected first and took off! I could just imagine him laughing about the whole thing.
“Honestly, this has been a very special event. I came here to support the McRae family, to come back to Scotland to pay tribute to Colin, Jim, Alister and to be around friends. When we drove in here at 7.30am, there was a bloody big crowd already – this is what Colin and the family mean to people.”
Max McRae dominated the competitive element of the event – his first ever overall win – on his debut in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
Words:David Evans
Tags: Dario Franchitti, McRae Rally Challenge, Roger Albert Clark Rally
Publish Date September 23, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/09/Document-Nami_16-780x1170.jpg September 23, 2025
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