The Rexall Edmonton Indy goes today, with racing star Dario Franchitti attempting to win both Canadian stops on the Indy circuit.
On Friday afternoon, the Scottish speedster wanted to try the “other sport invented by the Scots”... so he showed up at Edmonton’s Saville Centre curling facility, with TV crew in tow, to meet up with Team Randy Ferbey.
Dario Goes Curling – that’s our guess for the title – will air for just a couple of minutes today on Versa, as well as TSN2, as part of the Rexall Indy pre-race show.
Here’s the inside scoop, according to Team Ferb second Scott Pfeifer:
• Franchitti has watched the sport before, but had never been on the ice.
• He noted many similarities noted between the two sports – including ice conditions and track conditions, and the role of support staff (sweepers and pit crew).
• He was fascinated by the skill and precision required. His first two attempts bounced off the far boards, his third finished just over the hogline, and his fourth made it to the 12-foot rings, with sweeping.
• For a beginner, Pfeif remarked that Franchitti, whom he describes as a “super nice guy and very down to Earth” actually displayed “a terrific slide, although I may be biased because he is left-handed.”
• The speed demon seemed “very tentative and careful not to fall, which seemed kind of odd for a guy who speeds around pavement at hundreds of miles per hour.”
• Sadly, Franchitti’s movie star wife – Ashley Judd – failed to show up.
Thanks to Pfeif, who also submitted the above photo of Franchitti and The Ferb. You can see another pic, this one including Pfeif, on The Curling News Facebook group page.
Meanwhile, there was more racing/curling crossover as a local Twitter contest entrant used the classic phrase “hurry hard” to win a trip around the track in a race car.
And let’s not forget the original “Curling Indy” posting here at The Curling News Blog... featuring our very own race car design!
Vroom. Dario, start your engine ...
