Hall of Fame of America and the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame and was named the 2007 BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year. Early life and family background Franchitti was born in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland on 19 May 1973. He is the son of Inverness-born Tourist Board employee Marina Franchitti, and ice cream parlour owner and amateur racing driver George Franchitti, Franchitti is of Italian descent, and all three of his Italian grandparents originate from the town of Cassino in Italy. His younger brother Marino, his cousin Paul di Resta and his godson Sebastian Melrose are also racing drivers, and he has a sister. When Franchitti was eight years old, the family moved to Whitburn from Bathgate. He was educated at Edinburgh's fee-paying Stewart's Melville College, where he did not feel at ease due to its traditionalism and teaching of cricket and rugby union to maintain physical fitness. Junior career When he was three years old, Franchitti received a Honda-powered go-kart. He wanted to be a racing driver ever since his father took him to the West of Scotland Kart Club and other kart tracks at a young age. When he turned ten, Franchitti started karting. His first race ended after two laps due to engine failure. He started racing at the West of Scotland Kart Club and tracks in the North of Scotland, and he tested at Knockhill near Dunfermline. At the age of 11, Franchitti won the Scottish Junior Championship in 1984 and the British Junior Karting Championships in 1985 and 1986. Franchitti retired from the 1987 Karting World Championship final after colliding with Luca Badoer. In 1988, he won the Scottish Senior Championship and was runner-up in the 1989 British Senior Karting Championship. Franchitti raced part-time in the 1990 British Senior Kart Series. Overall, he won more than 100 races and 20 karting titles. In 1990, racing driver David Leslie's father suggested to Franchitti that he join his team and work on his cars at races. Aged 17, he began racing a single-seater vehicle for David Leslie Racing in the inaugural Formula Vauxhall Junior Championship. Franchitti's father remortgaged the family home to pay for his racing. He won the championship with four victories (three in the final three rounds) and three podium finishes. Paul Stewart Racing (PSR) offered Franchitti a Formula Vauxhall test after a team member observed him driving. If he drove for PSR,