[Wulos]

Have just been scratching about & discovered some great news.
Alex Zannardi will be participating in the 2004 European Touring Car Championship for the BMW Team Italy-Spain in a BMW 320i E46 (for the spec consciuos - a 2l inline6 that develops a bit over 260hp @ 8700rpm)
Zanardi will adopt the technical aids tried out successfully in the last race of 2003(in which he placed a rather respectable 7th place): the accelerator is mounted on the steering wheel and the clutch is operated with a potentiometer placed on the gearshift lever.
For those that are unaware of the significance of this, you need to realise that Zanardi was involved in a MAJOR accident (he is lucky to still be alive - numerous broken bones & lost BOTH his legs )in CART competition back in 2001.
Link back to old thread on Zanardi crash in 2001 - http://fordforums.com/showthread.php?t=5598&highlight=Zanardi

Congrats to Zanardi on his NEVER SAY DIE attitude! - truely inspirational

 

[TIKFD6]

Well, all i can say Mark is you must be bored.
And to Alex, Good luck mate.
He needs some after his bad luck over the years.

 

[gm dstroya]

just reading about that, makes me get goosebumps

i was horrified at the vision of the crash that crippled zenardi,

but see-ing this great new news thats he's gettign back into the cars just inspires me,
he truluy an amazing man, i most likly would have rolled over and given up.

good on him and i hope he goes well.

cheers.joe.

 

[fordel]

That is great news that he is getting back into it, cant believe it was 2 years ago already that he had that crash.

Shows what a good mental attitude can do, and that you can acomplish pretty much anything you want.

 

[mavss]

That's truly inspirational.

As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter how he goes but rather that he is competing after such a horrific accident that almost claimed his life.

Good on ya mate.

 

[Bearman]

Alex Zanardi is a legend!! What blew me away was when he got back behind the wheel of a specially adapted champ car at Lausitzring to symbolically "complete" the race where he had his accident. He turned in laps quick enough to put him 6th on the grid when the champ cars were last there!! The guy must have balls of steel.

Good luck Alex, kick arse!!