WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca officially renamed its famous Corkscrew corner on Friday morning.
The well-known portion of the track will now be named The Zanardi Corkscrew after the memorable pass Alex Zanardi completed there 30 years ago.
There is now a memorial placed up near the set of corners and a fresh track painting pays tribute to the racer’s memory.
“We came to Laguna Seca that year [1996],” recalled Chip Ganassi at the dedication.
“There were three people that could have won the championship that day: Jimmy Vasser, Michael Andretti, and Al Unser Jr. There were three engine manufacturers that could have won the championship that day: Chevrolet, Honda, and Ford. There were three chassis manufacturers that could have won the championship that day: Reynard, Lola, and Penske.
“At the end of the day Jimmy Vasser won the championship. But you know? I was that damned Alex Zanardi that just stole the show from everybody.
“That was our first championship! How many times Vasser and he went on tour afterward and Vasser was so mad, he said ‘I they wanted to talk about was The Pass! It was my first championship!’ And it was our team’s first championship.
“Alex Zanardi though, he stole the show. He stole my heart, and he stole a lot of people’s hearts that day.”
Pass to remember
Zanardi’s daring pass placed him ahead of Bryan Herta on the final lap of the 1996 event.
His red car, with the iconic yellow lightning bolt down the side of the cockpit, flew past on the inside at the top of the Corkscrew.
Zanardi’s momentum carried him into the gravel down the steep drop, but he maintained control, rejoined the track, and maintained the lead to take victory.
It was Zanardi’s first season in IndyCar, and his now-famous move secured him his third win of the season.
He went on to earn the championship the next two seasons, both with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Even a horrific crash in 2001, which saw him lose both of his legs, did not stop his ambitions. Zanardi went on to earn four golds in the Paralympic Games.
The legendary competitor passed away earlier this year at the age of 59.
Zanardi is also being honored this weekend by Chip Ganassi Racing, which is running a special livery on champion Alex Palou’s car that carries a tribute to the lightning bolt found on Zanardi’s car during that time.
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