Although he never drove in the IRL, Alex Zanardi was a heck of an open-wheel driver before losing his legs in a grisly accident in Germany. Whether or not you were a fan of his exploits in Formula One or CART, Zanardi's story of survival was compelling enough to warrant following.
Now aided by prosthetics, Zanardi is racing and winning in the BMW in the World Touring Car Championship. For his efforts, he will now return to Formula One for a test in Germany.
"Of course, I know that I won't get a contract with the Formula One team," the 40-year-old Zanardi said. "However, having the chance to drive an F1 racer again is just incredible."Amazing. Just over three years ago Zanardi actually returned to scene of his accident and drove several "ceremonial laps" in a modified vehicle. That is, if you can call 195 MPH a ceremonial speed.
That's way cool.