[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by disco stu

See, Penelope, this proves that you are truly inspirational!!!

I don't know about inspirational, but thank you!



My best friend and her family are descendants from Ireland. She recently took her first trip to the "homeland". What a beautiful country! She brought me one of those fabulous Irish sweaters. I love it! It's the most snuggely-buggely-boo thing I own!

Originally Posted by disco stu

Mr. Alex Zanardi

On attempting to merge back into the race (which he was leading at the time) from the pit-lane exit Alex overdid it a bit on the throttle and spun his car into the path of a full-tilt Alex Tagliani. The result was truly horrific.

The result of this near-fatal collision was that he had to have both legs amputated.

He has since had prosthetic limbs fitted and has mastered living with them to the extent that he is now a (successful) competitor in the World Touring Car Championship (touring cars are a big thing in this part of the world).

He has actually won races!

He has also test-driven both Champ Cars and F1 cars!

The man has a limited edition Honda(Acura) NSX named in his honour, has his own (successful) go-kart brand, has written two books and, just this year, came 4th in his classification in the New York City Marathon!

And, over and above all of this he has always remained ultra-positive and has never expressed bitterness or regret about his career or the situation he found himself in.

A true inspiration!

Without a doubt, this story is an inspiration to anyone who has had the misfortune that Alex has had ... racing aside.

Amazing story. Tops them all as far as I'm concerned.
http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb113&pp=ZN

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitStop

snuggely-buggely-boo

im fairly sure i could have gone my entire life without ever seeing that

out of all posted so far i believe Nikki Lauda is the best ....... i mean c'mon, he came back from a coma ..... hard to top that

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by simple simon

im fairly sure i could have gone my entire life without ever seeing that

Oh, come on! What's wrong with snuggely-buggely-boo? Don't you have a favorite pair of slippers that make you feel the same way?

[clutch]

Originally Posted by simple simon

i know this hardly qualifies .... but i love telling the story

i believe it was the 1985 Indy 500 ....... Danny Sullivan was leading on what i believe was the final lap ........ the track was slick and he did a complete 360 in his car without making contact with anything ...... and he continued to drive that car on to victory

like i said, i know it isnt exactly what youre looking for ....... but it was one of the most amazing feats of driving i have ever seen

didnt 2 cars do that...it was amazing...........now I gotta look it up
maybe anAndretti was the other?

[clutch]

Originally Posted by clutch

didnt 2 cars do that...it was amazing...........now I gotta look it up
maybe anAndretti was the other?

yes...very cool

YouTube - Danny Sullivan's dramatic spin during the 1985 Indy 500

[Bob Tanner]

My personal vote is for Jim Hurtubise

From Wikipedia:

Hurtubise raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1959-1968 and 1970-1974 seasons, with 97 career starts. He finished in the top ten 38 times, with 4 victories, in 1959 at Sacramento, 1960 at Langhorne, and 1961 and 1962 at Springfield. In 1964, after suffering serious burns in an accident during the Rex Mays Classic, in Milwaukee, doctors asked Hurtubise how he wanted his hands shaped permanently. "Just make 'em so I can hold a steering wheel," he replied.

The doctors at (I believe) the Army Burn Center at Fort Bliss, TX, used an Indy car steering wheel to shape his burnt and mangled hand to allow him to grasp it.

He went on to compete in several Indy 500's/USAC sprint car and NASCAR races. He fought the onslaught of the rear-engined Indy car by entering a front engined roadster, making one race as the ONLY front engined car in the field.

"Herk" was on of my heros.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

My personal vote is for Jim Hurtubise

From Wikipedia:

Hurtubise raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1959-1968 and 1970-1974 seasons, with 97 career starts. He finished in the top ten 38 times, with 4 victories, in 1959 at Sacramento, 1960 at Langhorne, and 1961 and 1962 at Springfield. In 1964, after suffering serious burns in an accident during the Rex Mays Classic, in Milwaukee, doctors asked Hurtubise how he wanted his hands shaped permanently. "Just make 'em so I can hold a steering wheel," he replied.

The doctors at (I believe) the Army Burn Center at Fort Bliss, TX, used an Indy car steering wheel to shape his burnt and mangled hand to allow him to grasp it.

He went on to compete in several Indy 500's/USAC sprint car and NASCAR races. He fought the onslaught of the rear-engined Indy car by entering a front engined roadster, making one race as the ONLY front engined car in the field.

"Herk" was on of my heros.

fyi: the "Army Burn Center" is in the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Ft. Sam (as we call it) is also 4th Army HQ.

I was burned with hot water from a radiator at a race in San Antonio in 1970. As luck would have it, when I arrived at the Methodist Hospital emergency room the ER physician on duty was a burn specialist who'd been trained at the Brooke Army Burn Ward. I received the best and most recent therapy available. and even though I was burned on both arms, face and stomach, I have nary a scar to show for the ordeal.

those people work miracles with burn victims. it's not unusual to hear of a burn victim being flown halfway around the world to be treated at Brooke Army Burn Ward. and they work on civilians as well as military.

"Herk" was indeed fortunate to receive their care.