Zanardi

[gttouring]

After watching the Zanardi Laps at LAusitz again from the Cart website, I toccured to me that any one that fit the King with hand controls and a car for oval will be the sponsor heaven. and with Target Chip Ganassi racing having such strong ties with Zanardi and Vasser- would Chip Set up a Car for Alex to run INDY? This is the Coup that Indy would need to blow cart to pieces. Zanardi Races again and he would win in the IRL...Do you think CART has thought of this possibility- is it possible?

[DNQ]

I doubt Alex would have anything to do with IRL.

[Jay]

If you're suggesting that Alex would do something like that to hurt Cartm, you've obviously never met him.

Alex is retiring from racing because he wants to watch his son grow up, and the IRL is the last place he needs to be if he wants that to happen. He's been through enough trauma, and racing in the IRL is a guarantee you'll see more of it.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Alex racing again, despite what he said. It won't be in an open-wheel car though.

[Lee Janotta]

Yeah. More like touring or GT cars... But even that'd be amazing to watch.

[gttouring]

I heard what alex had said, IRL, he might not be a fan of- but to be in a top flight team like Ganassi again might be alright, I would like to seem him do a good cart race, especially if they can set up his car, it was just a thought, did anybody feel the Indy 500 was really just an IRL race anyway? I didn't- reconciliation may never happen and who cares if it isn't Champcar racing anyway, but Alex might just be able to do it, Touring cars would be the best, Alex in the Alfa Romeos wow, even DTM

[camcartfan]

gttouring, I'd love to see the article which you claim Alex said this. Doubt it exists.

[corkholio]

Ganassi will never spend money just so someone can have the spotlight over his fat arse.

[gttouring]

No Alex never said any of this i said, it occured to me.
He was on pace in car at Lausitz, He controlled it rather well, not a shimmy wrong. I was thinking apparently in a delusional idealistic he'd never be hurt again mind set. That the great one would drive again , at leeast on an oval in a Champcar- than why not 16 oval races in IRL where his lack of feet might not make a difference as ther is no real shifting going on. It was a thought-dumb as it was- I just had the glimmer of hope to see him win again. Sorry apparently this offended everyone, Cripes did anyone see the potnetial here? IF it would happen, the media blitz and fanfare around it would be huge, and INDY would get A CART champion and fan favorite in there camp-I certainly would watch it every race. That is all i was saying. No back in your kennels-all of you!!!

[Lee Janotta]

He _did_ mention LeMans with Vasser and Papis at some point. A Ferrari in GTS?

[Jay]

In some ways I think he's genuine when he says he's done racing. I dont know..just a feeling. Alex certainly gives you a lot of them... but, I also know he has a racer mindset, so he might be back in one way or another...

But, what makes me a 10000000% sure he'd never drive in the IRL, is he is simply not an oval driver. He never did like the ovals in Cart, especially the superspeedways. He even said they were a part of his decision to move to F1 in 1999. He thought (as others current and past do) that they were too dangerous. He has been very concerned life and how fragile it is, especially later in his career, another reason I think he may genuine in saying he's retired. But, also why I'm sure he'll never drive another open-wheel oval race.

[BobbyB]

As much as we'd all like to fantasize about Alex's return, we must remember his comment about what his wife told him after he got the checkered flag in Germany. She said the "racing is over". No way around that one even if he wanted to.

[gttouring]

lol yes a girl will make you stop almost anything

[f1manoz]

Zanardi won't return to racing. And he most certainly would not race in that pathetic roundy-roundy series.

[cartpix]

Let me start out, by saying, I love Alex a lot, but...

Thirteen laps on an empty track, does not make him a candidate for any series. IMHO, I think he would be a hazard, in racing conditions. Sure, he could use the brakes, on an empty track, but what about in traffic, in an emergency situation. Also, there's the issue of having to exit the car, quickly, if anything happened.

It was great to see him, in a race car, again. I would love to see him drive again, but I have to look at it realistically. I would love to see Alex race Champ cars again, but it's not going to happen.

Jeff

[gaines]

I wonder how well he would do on a road course? With those hand controls on an oval you don't have to turn both directions continuously. I wonder if he could keep up speedwise on a road course like he did on the oval. That would be amazing to see.

[Dov]

From Cart-Racing.com http://www.cart-racing.com/news/2003/item_2541.html

[gttouring]

NIce-Good on ford eh?

[BootsOntheSide]

I doubt he could race the Indy 500 safely. You need to be on the ball for 800 corners of wheel-to-wheel action, where a half-second lapse can cause The Big One. It would be too dangerous, and he'd probably be uncompetitive. Single seaters on road courses would be even harder for him. Zanardi's racing days are over, sad to say. Team ownership might be an option though.