Grapevine: Zanardi Completes Emotional Last Drive

Alex Zanardi turned his back on motor racing on Sunday with an emotionally charged final drive around the German track where he lost both his legs in a crash two years ago.

Zanardi sped around the EuroSpeedway Lausitz oval in a specially-designed car equipped with hand controls before the start of the German 500 CART race. He had the same colours and number 66 car as he competed in two years ago and he set a best time of 37.48 seconds - which would have been enough to secure fifth place on the grid for the race.

The Italian symbolically completed the 13 laps which remained in the race when he had his near-fatal accident in a CART event at the same circuit in 2001. The two-times CART champion, who has said that he will now stay away from racing cars, drove at an average speed of 313 km/h during his fastest lap.

Zanardi had been leading the race two years ago before his final fuel stop, but as he exited the pit-lane on cold tyres he spun across the grass and into the path of Canadian Alex Tagliani's car.

Tagliani, who sustained only minor injuries, was driving at an estimated 320 kph and could not avoid Zanardi with the Italian's car destroyed in the incident and debris scattered across the track.

Zanardi had to have both legs amputated and was put into an artificial coma as his condition remained critical for days, but the courageous driver won his fight for life when others had given up hope.

His courage was underlined in returning to the track, where he was also grand marshal for the race. But, Zanardi stressed this was his final appearence in motor racing.

"Motor racing will be over for me after that, even if I will always love the sport," the twice CART champion told a news conference on Friday. "I don't want to lose my family.

"I want to do it as a gesture to thank my fans, and I have no fear at all. After that my career will be over."