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Former NASCAR Cup Series team owner Chip Ganassi is set to make a generous donation after he accidentally ran over and killed IndyCar driver Devlin DeFrancesco's puppy.
In the lead-up to the recent Rolex 24 at Daytona race, DeFrancesco took to his social media handles to share the tragic news of the death of his golden retriever, Lucky.
Once the news broke, reporter Jenny Fryer took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that it was Chip Ganassi, head of Chip Ganassi Racing, who was involved in the incident and was deeply saddened by it.
Confirming Fryer's report, Ganassi has come forward and issued an apology to Canadian driver Devlin DeFrancesco.
Ganassi acknowledged the unfortunate accident, taking full responsibility for the events that transpired. In a post on X, he said:
"The accident the other night with Devlin DeFrancesco’s dog was so unfortunate. I not only feel terrible about it I also feel terrible for Devlin, Katie and the DeFrancesco kids."
The former NASCAR team owner also announced a "generous donation" to the Indianapolis Humane Society.
"On behalf of their dog Lucky and the DeFrancesco family I am making a generous donation to the Indianapolis Humane Society," he added.
Devlin DeFrancesco accepts Chip Ganassi's apology, expresses gratitude for donation
Following Ganassi's statement, DeFrancesco took to X to accept the 65-year-old's apology and expressed gratitude for the forthcoming donation.
"I want to personally thank @GanassiChip for his apology to myself, my parents, my siblings and Katie. Nothing will be able to bring Lucky back or make the pain go away but I would also like to say thank you to Chip for his donation to the Humane Society of Indianapolis," he wrote.
DeFrancesco added:
"In support of other dogs/puppies in a city that is so important to me. Where I spend a lot of my time doing what I love with great people."
Following the incident, Devlin DeFrancesco competed at the 24 Hours of Daytona race, finishing 16th in the GTD class. Chip Ganassi's IMSA team, meanwhile, failed to finish the race after encountering a punctured tire.
