Zanardi Makes Emotional Return Tomorrow

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Zanardi Makes Emotional Return May 11

ZANARDI MAKES EMOTIONAL RETURN TO EUROSPEEDWAY

Former double CART champion Alex Zanardi returned to the EuroSpeedway Lausitz on the eve of the 2003 German 500 two years after the horrific accident in September 2001 in which the Italian lost both his legs.
Zanardi fronted a packed press-conference today (Friday) and, to rapturous applause, told the assembled media and photographers that it was an emotional return to Germany.

"I am happy to be back at EuroSpeedway," he said. "It is great to see so many friendly faces and to receive such a fantastic welcome."

Zanardi will run 13 laps - the exact number still to run when he crashed while leading in the 2001 race - in a specially adapted Reynard-Ford Champ Car. "Just look at it like I made a one-and-a-half year pit stop..." he joked. The car has been prepared in a joint effort by Conquest Racing and Walker Racing, and features hand controls developed by Rocketsports engineer Adam Schaechter to assist Zanardi in his reintroduction to driving a race car.

Zanardi is acting as grand marshal for the fifth round of the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered By Ford and, as part of an exciting weekend promised for the series' second leg of its European tour,

As a tribute, we've added Alex's car to our Spotter's Guide for this weekend's German 500. Click here to see it.

Don't miss the television coverage of the London Champ Car Trophy from the historic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, England. The broadcast in the United States will be carried by CBS Sports on Saturday, May 10, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Action from the German 500 starts with qualifying on Saturday, May 10 at 4:00pm ET. The race will be shown live on Fox Sports Espanol on Sunday, May 11 at 8:00am ET. The race will also be shown on CBS on Sunday, May 11 at 1:00pm ET.
 
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Sorry to sound like a newbie... but is this the same Zanardi of the Zanardi edition NSX???

If so, doesn't anyone find it weird he had an accident a couple of years after the Zanardi NSX.... just like Senna had an accident a couple of years after the release of the NSX he helped design? :eek:

...and Zanardi has 13 laps to go? Anyone getting superstitious here?
 
NeoNSX,
Yes, it's that Zanardi that the limited edition NSX was name after.
On a second note, you are killing me with this theory of yours about bad luck with the NSX. I believe that everything happened to serve a purpose, and sometime it's include death; sad, isn't it? but that is just the way it is. Look what's you done, now I don't want to get into any NSX at all! Just kidding.
 
Alessandro Zanardi is the man. I cried like a girl watching him return to the racetrack. It was very emotional.

His 13 laps were FAST. No slow laps for Mr. Zanardi. His fastest lap would have placed him 5th on the grid for that race.
 
Zanardi is just a class act all the way around. It was emotional for me too! My wife ask me what was going on and all I could say he's the man, he did it. He almost died, came back to walk again and drive like he did before. Just an absolutely amazing person.
 
I watched it too

Not a replay, but the actual event. It brought tears to my eyes. Spectacular efforts by such people have that effect on me.
My daughter asked why I was crying. I just told her I was happy. She understood.

What an effort! GO ALEX! What an amazing individual.

respects,
Dennis in SE PA
NSX Hopeful (looking at one this weekend)
'87 911 Cabriolet - for sale
'01 Boxster - for sale
 
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