Alex Zanardi: 1966-2026

Alex Zanardi passed away on Friday May 1, aged 59. 

A two-time IndyCar champion where his career will be remembered for his famous pass on Bryan Herta in the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca in 1996, Zanardi's career was altered after suffering an accident in 2001 at the Lausitzring in Germany. Losing both legs in an accident while leading with 13 laps to go, Zanardi proceeded to train and return to competition two years later in touring cars. While he returned to a race car, Zanardi also turned into a para-cyclist, where he became a four-time Paralympic gold medalists. In 2020, he sustained a severe cranial injury in a hand-cycling accident after a collision with a vehicle.

A remarkable man has left us. 

In more ways than most, Zanardi was an inspiring figure. 

In a race car, he was a menace, thrashing the competition with blinding speed and zero fear. His first foray in Formula One produced a single point, but coming to America blossomed a sensational career. He capped off his rookie yea with one of the most memorable passes ever seen, but Zanardi dazzled us for three seasons. He won the championship with ease in his second season. He caused another nightmare for Herta at Long Beach with a late pass for the win after Zanardi started outside the top ten. He was a part of a memorable 230mph ballet at Michigan with Greg Moore and Jimmy Vasser. Zanardi's second title might be more impressive than the first. He clinched it with four races remaining, one of only six times since 1946 an American open-wheel championship has been claimed with that many races remaining. No one has taken a title with that many races remaining since. 

The Lausitz accident nearly took his life. It is miraculous it didn't. For all he lost that day, Zanardi didn't stop him from greatness. 

Less than two years after his accident, Zanardi returned to the cockpit at the Lausitzring and completed the 13 laps he was unable to finish in that 2001 race. Later that year, he was back competing in touring car racing. On August 28, 2005, just under four years after his accident, he was a winner again, ironically enough, in Germany, taking a World Touring Car Championship race in Oschersleben. He also won the Italian touring car championship that year. The WTCC was a wonderful place for Zanardi to fill his competitive fire and show the talent remained.

Taking a pause from competing in a race car, Zanardi developed as a hand-cyclist, first competing in marathons before developing as a world-class talent and attempting the Paralympics. In 2012, he won two gold medals competing in the London Games. The hand-cycling events were fittingly held at Brands Hatch. Four years later, he won two more gold medals in Rio. 

While he was claiming gold, he could not stay out of a race car, and returned to competition in 2014. For the next five years Zanardi mainly competed in sports cars, taking a victory in the Italian GT Championship, but he notably made a start in the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona while also competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

Anytime you heard about what Zanardi was accomplishing, it was difficult not to be motivated. A man who by all means could have hidden from the world continued to live on the brightest stage. He did the unthinkable while a glowing smile on his face, and he only made you think anything was possible.

His hand-cycling accident in 2020 was devastating to hear, and it stole a beacon of hope from this world. Zanardi had already lost one career. Then he lost a second. After being such a public figure, Zanardi's final years remained private. 

It has been difficult to think about the last few years and what Zanardi would have achieved had the 2020 accident had never happened. There was going to be another Paralympics in 2021. He was still thrilled driving a race car and embracing challenges. Where would he have gone? Le Mans? Indianapolis? He wasn't done. 

What we did not get to see does not take away the wonderful moments we had, and few in motorsports have lived as fulfilling of a life. For everything Zanardi faced, it never stopped him from chasing glory. He looked to be better after each day. 

Motorsports aside, not many people have been a better role model. For all the adversity one can face, Zanardi is the reminder it can be overcome. It does not matter how tough it can be. It does not have to stop you. It is not the end. It might not be easy, but it is possible to get up each day and still strive for whatever you wish to accomplish. With dedication, our dreams are obtainable.

Alex Zanardi's life gave you a reason to get out of bed every morning. May his memory continue to drive you.

1,000 Words: Alex Zanardi

I am going to try something new. We all know the cliché "a picture is worth 1,000 words" and for some reason over the last few days I was thinking a person is worth at least 1,000 words, probably if not definitely more. What this new feature (if you want to call it that) will be is at least 1,000 words about a person in motorsports or a person that was in motorsports, a historic event I want to revisit, a track or something in between. It will be a way to pay tribute to somebody or something or it will be a way to open a discussion or just be a way to share stories. I am not sure how often these "1,000 Words" pieces will be. I think one a month is a good start. I will do it for the rest of 2016 and if people like them, I will continue into 2017.

Without further ado, let's get into the first 1,000 Words and as you can tell from the title, it is about an inspiring man.

Just over four years ago, Alex Zanardi won two gold medals and a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London and he was impressive. He won the time trail by over 27 seconds. He won the road race and he and Italians Vittorio Podesta and Francesca Fenocchio finished second in the mixed team relay.

His Paralympic success shouldn't have surprised me or anyone who has been following the Italian for the last twenty-five years. Despite losing his legs nearly fifteen years ago, Zanardi has not stopped proving himself. Less than two years after his accident at the Lausitzring with 13 laps to go, he returned and completed those 13 laps with the help of hand controls. His fastest lap would have put him fifth on the grid for the CART race that weekend. The following year, he returned to full-time competition in the European Touring Car Championship. He would transition with the series to the World Touring Car Championship and would win a race at Oschersleben.

After his second season in WTCC, which saw Zanardi win a race at Istanbul, he tested a BMW Sauber Formula One car. He continued racing in the WTCC and added two more victories over the next three seasons. While running in the WTCC, he picked up hand cycling and competed in the New York City Marathon, finishing fourth despite limited training. He made a goal for himself to compete in the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games.

As someone who didn't get to see Zanardi in his prime giving Bryan Herta nightmares with absurd passes at Laguna Seca and Long Beach, I really hoped his on-track success, in car and hand cycle, would lead to more. If he could win in the World Touring Car Championship, if he could test a Formula One car, if he could finish fourth hand cycling in the New York City Marathon, why couldn't he return and become the first man without legs to compete in the Indianapolis 500? There have already been three one-legged men to compete in the race and they all competed in an era without much technological advancement for people with disabilities. Zanardi could easily compete in the Indianapolis 500. He might have to train and become race fit but so far he hasn't failed in any goal he has set for himself. He returned to racing once before and found the pace needed to win. He has become one of the best hand-cyclists in the world. The question is not if he could qualify for the Indianapolis 500 but where on the first three rows would he start?

Zanardi is in a small grouping of great IndyCar drivers never to race the Indianapolis 500. Him and Greg Moore are the two that stand out. It is a shame the American open-wheel politics of the 1990s robbed these two drivers and others from shining on the grandest stage in American motorsports and it also robbed us fans from marveling at their greatest. He said he was interested in Indianapolis after his Paralympic success in 2012. It didn't happen, or rather it hasn't happened yet but it is understandable why Chip Ganassi or Jimmy Vasser would be hesitant to put him in a car. Nobody wants to see Zanardi get in another big accident and neither would want that on their conscience and nobody can blame them. Despite not attempting the Indianapolis 500, since 2012 Zanardi has tested a DTM car, raced in the Blancpain Sprint Series and competed in the Spa 24 Hours last year with Timo Glock and Bruno Spengler. Not to forget mentioning that Zanardi completed the 2014 Ironman World Championship in less than ten hours.

It is kind of amazing when you consider Zanardi's career and he has been legless for most of it. I think many of us, especially in the United States, either forgets or doesn't even know he made 25 Formula One grand prix starts before coming to CART in 1996 with Chip Ganassi Racing. He was the guy who replaced the guy (Roberto Moreno) who replaced Michael Schumacher at Jordan Grand Prix in 1991. His lone Formula One point was after finishing sixth in the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix, the final time Ayrton Senna won in front of his home crowd. Zanardi's career stretches back over a quarter of a century and his glorious ability behind the wheel of a car is captured in three mesmerizing years. Maybe he got his shot at Williams a year too early or maybe, considering his teammate in 1999 Ralf Schumacher finished in the points in 11 of 16 races, Zanardi's skills would have never crossed over well into Formula One. Motorsports is much more complex than Formula One is the best series and if a driver can't succeed there but can succeed elsewhere than elsewhere is crap. Zanardi might not have succeeded in Formula One but he was one of the best of his era.

Alex Zanardi motivates me everyday. Seeing him continue his racing career and start another successful career hand cycling inspired me to start running on regular basis and slowly work my way from two-mile laps around the block twice a week to regular 10-kilometer runs and now preparing to compete in a half-marathon and after that making the step to compete in a marathon. Blisters don't stop me, knee aches don't seem so bad, only a really cold day, I am talking below 20º Fahrenheit, or days with rain and/or snow pelting down will keep me in. I am sure I am not the only person inspired by Zanardi to become physically active and challenge myself. Seeing him competing again at the Paralympics and the fact he will be competing on the 15th anniversary of his Lausitz accident shows that the accident didn't end his career but rather caused a short hiatus. He returned from what was near fatal and continues to challenge himself. I don't know how Zanardi will do in this year's Paralympics. I don't know if he going to defend his two gold medals or fail to get on the podium altogether but that isn't going to change how I see him. He is an inspiration to not quit and if he can achieve all that he has in the last fifteen years considering all that he lost than the everyday obstacles in front of you and me are surmountable.

Perhaps Zanardi, who turns 50 years old this October 23rd, will again find himself in a race car. Maybe it will be in a LMP2 car or a GTE car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Maybe he will race in GT3 or return to touring cars. Or maybe Zanardi gets his chance at Indianapolis. Even if he doesn't, don't expect Zanardi to slow down.