Alex Zanardi

His auto racing days may be over, but Alex Zanardi is piloting a hand-operated BMW these days, not driving around in circles, but moving forward in life, despite the loss of his legs. Zanardi was nearly killed last fall in the quickly renamed American Memorial 500 champ car race in Germany, only days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when his car was struck broadside by Alex Tagliani's.

Alex Zanardi knows it is easier to win a race by starting on the pole, staying out in front and out of trouble, but there's something in his adventurous Italian psyche that loves the thrill of coming from deep in the pack, clawing and scraping his way to victory. His spirit will be tested today when he starts 20th, on the outside of the 10th row, in the 27th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi lost both legs Saturday when his car was hit by another traveling about 200 mph in a race that was renamed the "American Memorial 500" after last week's terrorist attacks. The 34-year-old Italian was leading with 12 laps left in CART's first race in Europe. As he exited the pit area after a stop, Zanardi seemed to accelerate too early, lost control and swerved sideways across a grassy area and into the path of Alex Tagliani's car.

Doctors performed a follow-up operation on Alex Zanardi on Monday, saying the two-time CART champion was not out of danger after losing his legs in a crash. "In the moment, he's stable, don't get me wrong. But it could change at any moment," said Walter Schaffartzik, head of the team of doctors treating the 34-year-old Italian. "It's too early to say if he's out of danger. "But it's my impression that he's getting more stable."

While Alex Zanardi lies in a Berlin hospital, half conscious and his legs gone, the CART community is gathering in Rockingham, England, for a race on Saturday. In racing, as in the theater, the show must go on. Even after Zanardi's car was sliced in half in a horrifying 200 mph accident last Saturday in Klettwitz, Germany, the American Memorial 500 continued.

Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi came out of an induced coma Thursday, signaling a faster-than-expected recovery from a gruesome crash that forced the amputation of both legs. "It's encouraging the way he's getting better," Dr. Walter Schaffartzik said. "He was pulled out of the induced coma in phases." Zanardi began emerging from the coma Wednesday night after doctors reduced drugs that induced the state to cut the chances of organ failure.

Alex Zanardi was released from a hospital in Berlin on Tuesday six weeks after his legs were amputated. He spoke of possibly racing again. "I feel I brought home the best and the most of myself," the two-time CART champion said. "I didn't lose much. I got to know the importance of the love of family and friends. Sometimes in life we forget what we have." Zanardi, one of CART's most popular drivers, said his first priority is to walk using artificial legs.

Alex Zanardi, who lost both his legs on Sept. 15 in a crash during a CART race at Lausitz, Germany, stood for the first time on artificial legs during a ceremony in his hometown of Bologna, Italy. "I'm so emotional that my legs are trembling," he said after presenting a Golden Helmet award to Formula One champion Michael Schumacher. "I can't walk yet, but this is the first step of the most important race. I have an extraordinary team beside me.