Free Republic

Four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti will return to competition in the Feb. 28 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event during the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Franchitti, whose career was cut short by injury, will make his return to NASCAR competition for the first time since 2008, driving the No. 1 Toyota for TRICON Garage on the streets of St. Petersburg. In a partnership between TRICON, Jimmie Johnson and Legacy Motor Club, Franchitti will drive the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Dollar Tree has joined the effort and will serve as the primary sponsor for the Scotsman’s first...

Actress Ashley Judd and Indy Car driver Dario Franchitti are ending their marriage after 11 years, and, yes, the news impacts Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Judd is weighing whether to jump into politics and challenge McConnell in Kentucky in 2014. She was in Washington for the inauguration and attended an event at EMILY's List, the group that backs pro-choice Democratic women running for governor or Congress. Judd even carpooled with Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, who demonstrated she knows how to win in a red state after defeating the self-injurious Todd Akin.