Dario Franchitti 'doing well' in hospital after fracturing vertebra and ankle in IndyCar crash Franchitti has reportedly had surgery on his fractured right ankle, with IndyCar medical consultant Terry Trammel saying that he would not require surgery on his back. The 40-year-old three-time winner of the prestigious Indy500, tweeted his thanks to fans for their concerns on Monday. "Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes," he wrote. They mean a lot to me. I would also like to send my best to all the fans involved in the accident and hope that everyone is all right. Franchitti's brother, fellow racing driver Marino, also thanked fans for their concern after travelling to Houston to be with him. "Can't thank you all enough for all the wishes and support," he wrote on Twitter. "@dariofranchitti is doing well considering, recovery starts here." Although not hugely well known in the UK, his Formula One career having never taken off, Franchitti is a star in the United States, where he is one of the most successful IndyCar drivers of all time. His marriage to Hollywood actress Ashley Judd in 2001 added to his celebrity. After more than a decade together, the couple announced plans to divorce earlier this year. Judd said that she was travelling to Houston to be with Franchitti. The Scot's future in IndyCar is likely to be a subject of speculation following Sunday's spectacular crash, which bore certain similarities to Wheldon's fatal accident in Las Vegas on Oct 16, 2011 when the Briton's car was launched into the air following a multi-car pile-up on the banked oval. Wheldon died after colliding with a fence post. Speaking to The Telegraph in the wake of that incident, Franchitti said that death was "the shocking part" of motorsport but drivers accepted there were inherent risks involved in racing open-wheel, open-cockpit cars at over 200mph. "Obviously what happened at the end of last year was a huge reality check," he said, "but I love what I do, more than ever, because I think I am closer to the end than the beginning." Whether he calls time on his career after escaping relatively unscathed from another serious smash remains to be seen. Franchitti injured his back in a motorcycle crash while on holiday in 2003, flipped his car twice in the space of two weeks during the 2007 season, first at Michigan and then again at Kentucky, and hurt his ankle in a stock car crash in 2008. His crash on Sunday has put the spotlight firmly back on the safety of IndyCar and other forms of motor racing, with particular concerns raised on Monday at the fact that fans were injured by debris and by fencing that came loose. The cars themselves also came under scrutiny. Motorsport's various governing bodies have all sought over the years to find ways of minimising the risk of cars going airborne following collisions. In the past few seasons we have seen Mark Webber's Red Bull flip spectacularly at the European Grand Prix in Valencia in 2010, while Anthony Davidson and Allan McNish have both had major airborne accidents in the Le Mans 24 hours. Wheldon's death triggered a major safety drive in IndyCar with new cars introduced last season with rear-wheel pods - a protrusion at the back of the car designed to stop wheel-to-wheel contact and reduce the risk of going airborne. IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan, after visiting Franchitti and one of the injured fans in hospitalon Monday, praised chassis manufacturer Dallara. "Big props to @DallaraIndyFty," he wrote on Twitter. Thanks for making such a safe car for us.