SETTLING UP.(Competition)

Dario Franchitti will indeed return to Indy car racing in 2007. But he'll also be a member of Andretti Green Racing's new American Le Mans Series entry.

Though AGR has not confirmed it, Franchitti will be a regular in the IRL car and will join Bryan Herta in the Acura-powered Courage LC75 LMP2 prototype when his schedule permits. Franchitti's brother, Marino, is being considered for the sports car ride when there's a schedule conflict.

Franchitti first joined Team Green in the CART series in 1998 and has generally worked on one-year contracts. His return to the IRL gives AGR a star-studded lineup, including 2004 series champion Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick.

Herta's signing with the ALMS team effectively ends his Indy car career after 13 years. He won four races (two in CART, two in the IRL). Herta called Franchitti's deal "done,'' but team owner Michael Andretti said the contract had yet to be signed.

That's "cart,'' not CART

"Scapula (the shoulder blade) fractures represent less than 1 percent of all broken bones,'' says the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. So leave it to Champ Car racer Paul Tracy to break his shoulder blade in what the Toronto Star called a "drunken joyride,'' which occurred when a beer-influenced Tracy decided to vault golf course sand traps in his Yamaha Rhino two-seat utility cart near his Las Vegas home. Tracy crashed the cart, which came to rest on top of him.

Consequently Tracy, fifth in Champ Car points, is questionable for the series finale in Mexico City on Nov. 12. At press time, his team, Forsythe Racing, had not announced a standby driver.