Story and questions by Dwight Drum
Web Work by Gary Larsen

Alex Zanardi

"Alex Zanardi -- My Sweetest Victory"

SAE International - Convention Moments (Society of Automotive Engineers)

Most often when Zoomster.com participates in motorsports teleconferences we are a long way away from the moderator and the guest driver, executive, owner, or crew chief. At an SAE International conference in Dearborn, Mich., Dwight Drum was in the room with the moderator as two-time Cart Champion driver Alex Zanardi called to express his thoughts about being able to drive again after a high impact crash that severed his legs in 2001.

Zinardi gave much credit to Dr. Marcus Klug, BMW Motorsport, for the engineering that enabled his return to the racetrack. Dr. Klug was honored by SAE Motorsports with a certificate of special recognition for the development of the adaptive controls he used in his BMW racing sedan.

Bentley Publishers is responsible for the North American edition of "Alex Zinardi - My Sweetest Victory" that is available now at book stores.

The biggest hurdle that Alex Zanardi overcame was returning to the driver seat in a high-powered open-wheel race car minus his lower legs. Zanardi’s racing spirit has remained highly intact and an indefinable quality continues to set him apart from most that don’t race and some, if not many, that race for a living.

Alex Zanardi has been able to put all his drive back into the body that he has now. Countless many haven’t done that with perfectly whole bodies. That’s the great part about Zanardi’s story. He has overcome his injuries quickly and focused on thrust for the future.

Dwight asked Alex:

“Well after my accident suddenly my priorities were different. I certainly had to worry about getting my life back to where it was and regain my independency. I could certainly not think about racing, if I could not go to the bathroom on my own.

"Well after my accident suddenly my priorities were different. I certainly had to worry about getting my life back to where it was and regain my independency. I could certainly not think about racing, if I could not go to the bathroom on my own.

“But as soon as I was able to put my life back together technically speaking, I was offered to drive a car and I was very interested to see if I could do it. If there was a way to technically for me to overcome my handicap and to be able to drive the car as well as I was doing before. It was certainly not just a question of curiosity, it was also a question of passion. It was a simple as that. I did what I had to do. Quite frankly, It’s not a question of having to sacrifice myself, having to work really hard. You know when you enjoy what you are doing you are not working hard, you’re just enjoying yourself. I consider myself a very, very fortunate man, because in my life I always had the possibility to enjoy what I was doing. So maybe my brother-in-law was right when he said when he said I have never worked in my whole life.

"Alex Zanardi -- My Sweetest Victory"