Schrader to drive No. 40 for Franchitti at Richmond

CONCORD, N.C. -- Dario Franchitti was re-evaluated this week by his doctors and will sit out this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway. NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader will drive the No. 40 Dodge on Saturday for the 400-lap event.

"I had heard rumblings [Monday] that we were on the list to drive the No. 40," Schrader said Tuesday during a break in a test session for Haas at Nashville. "There's such a great tradition at Ganassi Racing. I'm glad we're getting this opportunity."

Ken Schrader

Cars By the Numbers

Car	Make	Owner
64	Ford	Elmo Langley
90	Ford	Junie Donlavey
25	Chevrolet	Rick Hendrick
67	Ford	Buddy Arrington
33	Chevrolet	Andy Petree
36	Pontiac	Nelson Bowers
49	Dodge	Beth Ann Morgenthau
21	Ford	Wood Brothers
70	Chevrolet	Gene Haas

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The race will be Schrader's first opportunity to drive for team owner Chip Ganassi, and the No. 40 will be the 10th different car number he has driven in the Cup Series. Schrader, 52, also will compete in Sunday's ARCA/ReMax Carolina 500 at Rockingham Speedway but now must find another driver to practice and qualify the ARCA car.

Schrader qualified third in Haas CNC Racing's No. 70 Chevrolet and finished 42nd in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega. Johnny Sauter is slated to drive the No. 70 for Haas this week.

Schrader is confirmed to race in Richmond only. Franchitti also will be in Richmond with the No. 40 team. The No. 40 Dodge is outside top 35 in owner points and hence must qualify for Saturday's race on speed.

"I'm supposed to race the ARCA event at Rockingham on Sunday, but I'll get there just in time for the race," Schrader said. "We'll find someone else to practice and qualify the car. We're just going to concentrate on Saturday night's race."

Franchitti, injured this past weekend in the Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, was seen by Dr. Terry Trammel and Dr. Kevin Scheid in Indianapolis on Monday. The doctors confirmed the slight fracture in Franchitti's left ankle that previously had been diagnosed shortly after the driver was transported from the track to a local hospital. (read more).

Franchitti will be fitted for a carbon fiber brace later this week. His status behind the wheel of the No. 40 Dodge will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

If Franchitti has his way, he'll be back in action sooner rather than later.

"I feel like I could have driven [Sunday]," he said. "Not [Saturday], but [Sunday]."

Franchitti, who appeared on crutches Sunday at Talladega, doesn't remember the impact from Larry Gunselman's Ford, after his own No. 40 Dodge had blown a right-front tire, hit the outside wall and slid to the apron in Turn 3 -- and right into Gunselman's path (watch video).

"I felt that pretty much everyone had passed," Franchitti recalled. "I was kind of marveling that everyone had missed me. [After the tire blew] I tried to keep it up against the wall, but eventually the gravity just pulled it down. I was surprised it was as late as it was that the impact came."

In fact, by the time Gunselman slammed into the driver's side of Franchitti's car, he already had begun to relax.

"I was getting that way," Franchitti said. "Luckily, not too much, but I was getting that way."

David Stremme subbed for Franchitti in Sunday's Cup race. Stremme ran in the lead pack in the closing stages -- and led one lap -- before falling victim to a wreck on the final lap that dropped him to 28th at the finish.