Pretty sure that in current F1 he would have been disqualified or something else stupid, not sure how indycar would look at this nowadays. Great driver and move.
You were lucky to be there that day, one piece of history in racing. And as italian i'm still proud of this amazing man, that today has won a new gold medal in cycling at the paralympics games, at 49!!!
CART was the best, i stopped going to these races when IRL took over. As someone commented, CART was on a level with F1. i hope Alex Zanardi is doing well, he has had some very tough breaks.
I've watched a lot of racing since I've been a little kid. F1, ALMS, LeMans, IndyCar. And I don't remember watching a series that was more exciting and with such awesome quality drivers and cars as CART in the late 90s and early 2000s. Just look at the guys who raced and you'll know it was awesome. CART in those days was almost like an alternative to F1
it certainly was a very good alternative. I watched it then but cannot watch it anymore. the cars are hideous and I am not sure about the talent either.
+Aj85234480 IndyCar is the best open-wheel racing series. Watch a few races and you'll be more entertained by that than watching an entire season of F1.
merboberbo well thanks to Tony George’s crap in the mid 90s INDYCAR nose dived and tried to make it NASCAR like. Well thank God INDYCAR is getting some interest back especially this year.
I saw the original broadcast of this race... it's been over a decade and it still stands as one of the finest moments of auto-racing badassery I've ever seen.
Brilliant overtake in my view, on a circuit that like many, only offer limited overtaking for such high performance cars in modern racing. As it was such high risk, (& he got away with it, giving the fans what we want) I'd encourage this kind of thing. Instead of the bland type of racing we often get these days. Either that, or make the tracks better for overtaking 'legitimately.'
It's still legal today. He was offtrack only after he overtakes him, not during the overtake or something. And he left enough room to be overtaked and there was no unsafe return on track too. It was brilliant, legal 30 years ago and perfectly legal today. Brian Herta should do exactly what Prost did on Senna at 89. He should close the door and bang. Because clearly the gap was not there and Zanardi was too optmistic. But for our luck, he didnt do it and the overtake was amazing!
Those people have probably become too used to racing with huge runoff area's, artificial "trackside limits" and the arbitrary penalty system that needed to be invented for that. When there is grass, gravel or in this case sand next to the racing track, using it is completely at your own risk.
@@P1nkR Don´t think it has anything to do with that. It´s just that there are track limits and running off, even after passing the car, just seems weird. Imagine how many unclean overtakes you could do in situations where you can only gain but not lose anything. If this was the norm, racing would be dead.
@Guodlca are you seriously comparing the run off area of T1 in monza to that small turn in Laguna? wew. Also in that situation it would just be considered corner cutting, driving straight as if the turn didn't exist
I dont understand why people are saying this was an illegal pass. If I'm not mistaken, there wasn't any rules against doing what he did at the time. The rules of modern F1 don't apply to CART in 1996.
Great move, but should not have been allowed to count. Not only were all four wheels off the course when passing, he effectively straight-lined the corkscrew. Herta maintained the racing line - did not straight-line the turn - and thus should've been awarded the win. Ganassi wouldn't even have protested this was so obvious.
+f montes Totally agree with you, although it was bold he passes the line with all four wheels and was effectively of the track..but still a great moment in racing history!
+f montes i think the new rules "keep all four wheels on the racing line" were made because there is no gras, sand or whatever next to the track nowadays. so shortcutting would be easy. in the case of zanardi it is ok to me because he could have lost the car or atleast a lot of time --> i am happy with that "legal pass"
The pass was initiated and completed with all four wheels on the circuit; however, he went four off in the next corner. When Zanardi went off course, he was already in the lead. Since there was no lead change during the off, the pass should count. I believe any car can go off circuit and as long as there is no position change, there is nothing illegal about it.
You know, I became an IRL fan since the split because I love oval racing when it comes to American Open Wheel... But let me tell you, this gives me goosebumps everytime I watch it, Alex Zanardi IS a superb driver/athlete and person, I have lots of respect for this man. What a class act!
It's sad what 5 years into the future had in store for him but it's amazing he's alive and well today and seems very very happy and at peace. What an amazing man!!!
The number of people watching Indycar has not decreased, but the number of people willing to watch it LIVE has...there are lots of factors for this, fuel is more expensive, so going THERE is more expensive. TV quality was horrible back them, but now you can have a super high quality image with full surround sound in the comfort of your home. Safety standards in the tracks also reduced the maximum capacity and increased ticket prices...I could go on and on...
I was working in Parker Johnstone's Corp tent that day. Free food and drink of course, Woot-WOOT ! Watched on a few tv monitors. When "the pass" occurred, everyone in the tent , went outside their minds !
I remember watching the race. When I saw Zinardi pull that off, I about flipped the couch in amazement. The move that defined his career, and probably one of the best passes in the history of auto racing
@@Antros23 Its called creating your own racing line. Its what happens when a hungry, aggressive driver is breathing down the neck of a less hungry and less aggressive leader on the final lap.
I was there that day. This race was always around or on my Birthday which is Sep. 10th. I was 6 years old and remember it like it was yesterday. It is one of my favorite Childhood memories.
Track limits anyone? I hate this bullshit too about scrutinizing every passing maneuver, but that was definitely gaining an advantage with all 4 wheels off track.... he braked later than he knew he could, and used an area that is not the racing surface to keep his position.
Right, but the problem is he cost the other driver to lose time. Not only did the other driver have to back out to avoid a collision, he almost hit him again as Z reenetered the track. Clear advantage on a poor overtake
Different times,... The shit Prost and Senna pulled back in the day at Suzuka wouldn't fly these days neather. Schumacher tried those old school tricks ( tho very dirty and poorly exicuted) and lost all his points. Rightly so. But different times different rules.
Wow that was my times of IndyCar. And if it is your first whatever it is then it stays with you forever and it will always be your reference point. That's why to me todays indycar are like toys of spec series. They are so compact and rapid like karting. And 90ties that cars looked heavy, fast serious, majestic and beautifully shaped. And they were ultra characteristics like Herta's Shell car or Pennzoil of Gil de Ferran or Valvolive of Robby Gordon or Michael Andretti's Texaco Havoline or Targets of Alex and Jimmy. So you see this was my times and nostalgia kicks in. Of course I don't mind younger generation appreciates todays IndyCars because it is their times. They'll feel nostalia about it some time in a future :)
Ask yourself the following question: Would Zanardi have been able to overtake Herta if he had entered the corkscrew slowly enough to avoid putting all 4 wheels off the track? If the answer is "no", then Zanardi gained an advantage by going off the track and this should've been an illegal overtake.
I agree, yet I have no knowledge of the CART regulations concerning a situation as such. The overtaking itself was clean albeit clearly Zanardi was aware he couldn't keep the car on the track .....
@@peggygeren4169 So the tarmac slice beyond the curb was still to be considered "track" ...... Herta didn't complain as far as I know, so no matter if Zanardi was cheating or simply smartly playing with the regulations.
@@INDIGOBLUE555Probably the asphalt strip inside was added to prevent dust and stones being thrown onto the track when cars put their inside wheels over the curbs. They failed to adapt the rules to match that intent. It was probably Zanardi's last chance to pass, and after the "save" he made a few laps earlier when he went all the way onto the dirt, downhill at very high speed, Alex probably thought he could do anything with the car. He tried it and it worked & turned out to be technically legal. The pass itself was done so quickly and decisively with Zanardi making his intention clear that Herta had to let him go past, so Z was only putting himself at risk. Alex was slower on corner exit and I think Bryan could have repassed if he hadn't already decided that it was illegal. You can tell that initially he loomed right up on the tail at the bottom of the corkscrew and then seemed to relax all the way to the finish. Rahal team may not have officially lodged a protest, but I bet something was said initially. I feel sorry for him because he was leading the race on his own speed for once, when so many times his team would try some fuel-saving strategy that ended up hurting him by the end.
He had Greg Moore, Dale Sr. and Dan Wheldon at least riding inside the car guiding him when he made that move. The Racing Gods kept him alive and in contention.
I'm not a religious man but then again I tend to not have any "heroes" either. I guess today it's time to start praying, for our legend and hero Alex Zanardi.
@@mattsuper1366 No. In modern F1 it would not be legal. You can't say "he got off track only after passing Herta". Man, he got off track because he brake too late when he was BEHIND Herta. He did not complete the pass, he overtake Herta BECAUSE he was too fast to make the first corner.
CART in the 1990s was pretty awesome, it only failed due to politics. This should be the model for fixing F1, just give it a few minor tweaks and you'd be good to go. I'd say it should also be the model for fixing IndyCar but that is A: obvious and B: impossible, the politics haven't changed and probably never will.
crusherbmx Indy is going back in the CART direction. They used the design of CART for their safer car. They also brought back Portland. Of course the on going joke about bringing back Laguna Seca.
Luckily, things have already changed. The Indycar season this year (2021) is one of the best ever. I was a fan of Indycar/CART/Champcar in the 90s. And if you take your time and watch some of those old races (even the better ones) you'll see what a really great time we have as fans of Indycar racing today.
I happened to be there that day. I was 10 years old, Shaquille O'Neal Magic jersey, worst sunburn of my life. I actually didn't fully understand what had even happened on that day and that this one would go down as legendary! The thing I actually remember the most was one of the cars caught on fire right in front of us. It was a blue color if my memory serves me right. What a crazy day.
Alex Zanardi was in his prime then. Great team he drove for too. Great car. Chip Ganassi and his team were one of the top and best teams out there in this racing category. So much talent. Then there were some other great drivers and teams out there too numerous to mention. Good times back then.
I remember that. What a great era for CART, about 1980-2000. I miss personalities like Zanardi, Herta, Andretti, De Ferran, etc. I lived in Pittsburgh at the time and my father worked for PPG when it was then called the PPG cup in terms of the championship trophy. Very cool.
Le Ann Lucsa - I too was there - right at the cork screw! right under a tree there walking back to the pits - turned around, and (what he video doesn't show is that he got a bit air born going over the rumble strip). I could not believe it. I drove up from Santa Barbara for the day. Expected a good show, but not that! Laguna Seca is a really awesome track. And yes, the officials should have called that an off track excursion. That whole season was awesome.
Cart racing or IndyCar in the 1990s. One of the best American racing categories ever surely ? Ahh what a flashback. Great drivers and teams. Great racing. Well I tell you I really miss it for sure anyway.......
Great period no doubt, the quality drivers, teams, and solid sponsors, all good. Although I've not been to Laguna Seca for IndyCar, I traveled to many IndyCar races around the country as a fan. Also, in my opinion the heyday of CanAm racing, simultaneous with Indy Champ cars, and then (a fave memory for me) was USAC Stock cars, Al and Bobby Unser, Don White, Roger McClusky, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, AJ Foyt, on everything from pavement, dirt, to road courses. Great time for sure, a lot of the impact was simply being from Indianapolis, with so much incredible racing all around (Fairgrounds mile dirt, Indianapolis Raceway Park's oval, and road course, Speedrome 1/4 mile paved, and of course IMS.) Incredible memories in addition to 8mm film (w/sound) documenting a variety of them.
Agreed, but the Indycar race this weekend, 2019, should be pretty darn good, and is CART having won that fight. I mean the IRL is dead, Tony George is nowhere, and Indycar is again the best drivers from all over the world driving road, street and oval courses.
I actually watched this live in '96, and it still gets me to this day. That was a gutsy piece of racing, and I became an instant fan of Zanardi right then and there, before he went on to win consecutive championships in the following years. He was always brash, sometimes flaunting the rules, but always so much fun to watch, Mister Donut. Here, he was perfectly within the bounds of the then-current rules... Alex went off the track at the NEXT corner, so he technically completed the pass legally. Hell, even F1 rules don't care if you go off at a corner (once) if you don't gain a position or a lasting advantage from it. But they will penalize you if you do it more than once in a race. Either way, the move was banned after, but it was a brilliant thing to watch back in the day.
Mike Hull (Ganassi Racing Managing Director) talks about Alex practicing this move on this week's Marshall Pruett Podcast (Episode 204). Alex would practice running off-line in overtaking zones (the hairpin, turn 5 and the corkscrew) at the end of his practice runs to see what grip there would be if he tried this. He'd go hard on the brakes, let off, then back on hard. I've never noticed it before but you can see where he gets on the brakes for the second time at around 4:41 when his brakes lock up. Mike also noted that Alex overcooked it a little. Even Alex admitted that he carried a bit too much speed. Still one of the best overtakes of all time.
CART was simple great. Great racing on very cool racetracks. I loved it and despite having the better drivers F1 wasn't as exciting very often back then.
I feel like this should be a thing in all racing. Especially f1. On otherwise slow corners put some sausage curbs and obstacles to potentially destroy your car by going over but allow passing to be done across them. That’s triple the excitement. Will he cash, will he hit the other driver, will he gain the position. Enough sterilization and rules add safe yet exciting obstacles to pass. Do this on catalyuna since the track is notorious for not allowing passing. First corner add a cut zone but put obnoxious bumpy curbs to make it a last resort effort to pass people.
"...an area you would not normally pass" Ya no shit? Because it's dangerous and he didn't pass him on the race track - he went flying off it and then took the position. This is why the F1 rule of giving the place back is crucial and would have been serving a purpose in this scenario.
That pass is full of gusto, the view on tv doesn't accurately portray the difficulty of that particular section of track on Laguna Seca. Absolutely brilliant.
I saw this in person while standing at the bottom of the corkscrew for these amazing tight final laps and I was initially confused as to what had happened before I realized we had witnessed one of the most exciting moments in motorsports.
My dad and I used to watch every single F1 and Champ Car race live no matter the time. I was 13 when this happened and I remember watching it live like it was yesterday. Just incredible. Feel bad for Herta but this moment is legendary.
A last word on Alex Zanardi’s illegal pass. For real racers like Bryan Herta, Bobby Rahal and Rahal Racing, their correct decision NOT to protest the track shortening pass, says it’s less about written rules ( Indycar vs Formula 1 ) and more about sport. TK
Was just looking up some of my all time favourite racing moments, and this was one of them - Zanardi is amazing, and his upbeat approach to life in interviews has always been inspiring too!
I don't see how people can't see that this was an unsportsmanlike pass, even if not explicitly barred. Track limits exist for a reason, and without obedience to such, you get incidents like the Formula Renault 2.0 fiasco at Paul Ricard. And even without the wreck, it simply comes down to being unsportsmanlike. There's a reason why in every game with a penalty system at that course, you'd receive some sort of penalty there. Same as if Zanardi had an opportunity to make a pass on the pit road exit approaching turn 1. There's a reason why any driver that makes an overtake like that forgives the position on their own valor: sportsmanship. And regardless of spectacle, it's still wrong. Had Herta not backed off, it would've been two wrecked vehicles. And if you want to argue about motorsports not being fair, don't bitch about the money crisis of F1, Red Bull between 2012 and 2014, or anything else. And certainly don't bitch about the start of the GP3 race at Sochi. Me thinks the defenders don't want to ruin a feel-good ending. You know, like how almost everybody defends the pass the Audi made on the Vette and the Peugeot in 2011, which would've been illegal then, and still illegal now, as showed by the most recent race at Silverstone.
+FormulaChris085 f**k the unsportsmanlike like pass he made a risky move and it was amazing to watch, sure the position should of been swapped after a review but how stupid would it of looked if he just gave it back
I love the way everyone that's had a winge about the 'pass' does so through the prism of 'today' rather than an understanding of the context of 'then'. 'Then' if you wanted to go 'cross country' and cut out road surface, you could. Because it was not going to be to your advantage. You could also continue to race in the pit lane. As for sportsmanship? Pfft. There is none! It's a business. A business which, until ten years ago, give or take, operated under the incorrect assumption of sportsmanship, rather than the respect or disrespect drivers held for each other. Sportsmanship is for sport...
OK, Ok, ok, I was there. I watched the the whole race from the outside top of the Corkscrew. We are little spots in the shot almost every lap on the video. What you don't get from watching it on tv is the amount of ground they are covering and how quick the elevation change is lap after lap. When Zanardi stuck it off in there on the last lap, I thought he was toast. It all happened so fast it, it was very exciting. He was moto-crossing for sure. Major cahones, you know?
I was waiting for the microphone graphic to pop up in the middle of the screen and hear some person screaming vulgarities and threatening reporting. Man this video is triggering from my rookie days.
I was at that race as a child & saw take the checkered, then years later as an adult living in Hawaii I watched him complete the Ironman World Championship. Inspirational man to me.
@@mikaelsmith5094 the only thing F1 doesn't have is Road America, Laguna seca and The Indianapolis 500. F1 is a sh*t show now. Devalued by politics and outsider influence.
@@aaronersoy3888 So you compare Formula CART in the 1996 to the actual F1? Compare it to the 90s era of Formula 1 and let's see. Then what about 24h of Le Mans? Montecarlo street circuit, Spa Francorchamp Eau Rouge, Monza the temple of speed, Suzuka, Interlagos. Amazing circuits in which no car of any category can beat a F1 ever. F1 is the ultimate car for racing whether u like it or not. Unless u wanna just go fast and turn left like Indianapolis.
@@mikaelsmith5094 I'll spell it out so you understand. Formula one, boring. Indycar not boring. FIA WEC not boring. Rally not boring. Formula one boring. I appreciate all motorsport, but formula one is like watching the Kardashians with race cars.
@@aaronersoy3888 Best drivers in the world are in Formula 1. That's why it's boring. 'cause they are all very close. All other categories have more difference and they result more exciting. Spell this.
I really do think that is great that 16 years later we are still having this argument. Just today 4 people have looked this up on RUclips. He made the pass clean then went off and saved it. That is the fact but 16 years ago shared your argument but now I say he made the pass clean and with in the rules. I'm happy that 16 years later people still care enough to argue about it. CART at that time was incredible.
I think, if you had to be the review judge on this one, you just have to give it to the guy who had the stones to overtake on the stupidest turn there is on the CART circuit. This is so crazy, unexpected, unsafe, and a miracle he held the car together afterwards, that everybody has shat too many bricks celebrating for some higher authority to take it away. What you do as a judge is put the rules in place afterwards that never ever allow for these sorts of events again, and you let the world file this pass in the Hall of Fame.
I was there...in the port-a-pot right next to the track. For the life of me I couldn't understand why the crowd and announcers were going ape shit. Poor Herta. Alex Zanardi was amazing to watch.
Que geração sensacional. Zanardi, vasser, Paul Tracy, al unser Jr.... As pinturas clássicas da chip ganassi e penske ... Que época! vou até jogar carta world series novamente !
I've seen this video about a thousand times, yet it still surprises me that actually happened.
They let you blatantly drive off circuit during an overtake and keep the position? @.@
Pretty sure that in current F1 he would have been disqualified or something else stupid, not sure how indycar would look at this nowadays. Great driver and move.
Well, Matt, in iRacing this would have been penalized.... ;)
Daniele Calzolato (Dan-C)
Zanardi's radio : tehy saay u cut da course, yah have ta slow down and give the time bach.
Empty Box Your "Hot DP Action" video brought me here.
Stay strong Alex. We all believe in you!
My husband and I were there that day. We were at the hill. We saw it happen. God, we miss Zanardi and Laguna Seca. What a moment it was.
Dear god, that would be unbelievable. Definitely it's a memory that I deserve
Sure miss those cars at Laguna Seca. Miss Zanardi too. Love racing!
You were lucky to be there that day, one piece of history in racing. And as italian i'm still proud of this amazing man, that today has won a new gold medal in cycling at the paralympics games, at 49!!!
Zanardi is a real hero of mine. Through all his tribulations he remained a loving husband, father, friend. He also kept his sense of humor. Love him!
We were also on the hill that day. What an amazing race!
Love the sound of the engines this era.
Yes! That high pitch whine… Nothing like it.
CART was the best, i stopped going to these races when IRL took over. As someone commented, CART was on a level with F1. i hope Alex Zanardi is doing well, he has had some very tough breaks.
I really miss CART.
me too
Marcello Ribeiro we all do.
Thank you Tony George
FTG FTG!
Permanently in mourning
I've watched a lot of racing since I've been a little kid. F1, ALMS, LeMans, IndyCar. And I don't remember watching a series that was more exciting and with such awesome quality drivers and cars as CART in the late 90s and early 2000s. Just look at the guys who raced and you'll know it was awesome. CART in those days was almost like an alternative to F1
it certainly was a very good alternative. I watched it then but cannot watch it anymore. the cars are hideous and I am not sure about the talent either.
+danzyl thks my friend.....let´s shout it out loud !!!!!! these were the days....of racing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Aj85234480 IndyCar is the best open-wheel racing series. Watch a few races and you'll be more entertained by that than watching an entire season of F1.
merboberbo well thanks to Tony George’s crap in the mid 90s INDYCAR nose dived and tried to make it NASCAR like. Well thank God INDYCAR is getting some interest back especially this year.
merboberbo because F1 is boring and filled with sh*t
I saw the original broadcast of this race... it's been over a decade and it still stands as one of the finest moments of auto-racing badassery I've ever seen.
Laguna Seca 1996, the Forza 6 multiplayer lobby experience.
People cutting corners and shit.
haha too true!
GT: TUPAPICHULO86
incase you want to play with someone who isn't gonna cut every corner.
Pretty much how I ran every lap on this track on Forza or Gran Turismo...
FighterCK gay
Literally every race at Yas Marina
Seriously that pass was bullshit
it was legal then, dont hate the man for taking advantage of the rules at the time
Brilliant overtake in my view, on a circuit that like many, only offer limited overtaking for such high performance cars in modern racing. As it was such high risk, (& he got away with it, giving the fans what we want) I'd encourage this kind of thing. Instead of the bland type of racing we often get these days. Either that, or make the tracks better for overtaking 'legitimately.'
It's still legal today. He was offtrack only after he overtakes him, not during the overtake or something. And he left enough room to be overtaked and there was no unsafe return on track too. It was brilliant, legal 30 years ago and perfectly legal today. Brian Herta should do exactly what Prost did on Senna at 89. He should close the door and bang. Because clearly the gap was not there and Zanardi was too optmistic. But for our luck, he didnt do it and the overtake was amazing!
Those people have probably become too used to racing with huge runoff area's, artificial "trackside limits" and the arbitrary penalty system that needed to be invented for that. When there is grass, gravel or in this case sand next to the racing track, using it is completely at your own risk.
@@P1nkR Don´t think it has anything to do with that. It´s just that there are track limits and running off, even after passing the car, just seems weird. Imagine how many unclean overtakes you could do in situations where you can only gain but not lose anything. If this was the norm, racing would be dead.
@Guodlca are you seriously comparing the run off area of T1 in monza to that small turn in Laguna? wew. Also in that situation it would just be considered corner cutting, driving straight as if the turn didn't exist
These cars look more modern than the current cars.
Better cars and better racing
I dont understand why people are saying this was an illegal pass. If I'm not mistaken, there wasn't any rules against doing what he did at the time. The rules of modern F1 don't apply to CART in 1996.
I do not know the rules from back then. While nosediving is something i can apprechiate, shortcutting seems a bit over the edge to me.
LMAO the ole Laguna Seca "apron-cut". Been doing that one myself since Gran Turismo on PS1 XD
Word
Great move, but should not have been allowed to count. Not only were all four wheels off the course when passing, he effectively straight-lined the corkscrew. Herta maintained the racing line - did not straight-line the turn - and thus should've been awarded the win. Ganassi wouldn't even have protested this was so obvious.
+f montes Totally agree with you, although it was bold he passes the line with all four wheels and was effectively of the track..but still a great moment in racing history!
Yep, would not have held up in F1. Should use the same rules.
+f montes i think the new rules "keep all four wheels on the racing line" were made because there is no gras, sand or whatever next to the track nowadays. so shortcutting would be easy. in the case of zanardi it is ok to me because he could have lost the car or atleast a lot of time --> i am happy with that "legal pass"
+Zoomer30 it's not about F1 in any race class it is a no go to cross the white line with 4 wheels because you get black flagged
The pass was initiated and completed with all four wheels on the circuit; however, he went four off in the next corner. When Zanardi went off course, he was already in the lead. Since there was no lead change during the off, the pass should count. I believe any car can go off circuit and as long as there is no position change, there is nothing illegal about it.
You know, I became an IRL fan since the split because I love oval racing when it comes to American Open Wheel... But let me tell you, this gives me goosebumps everytime I watch it, Alex Zanardi IS a superb driver/athlete and person, I have lots of respect for this man. What a class act!
It's sad what 5 years into the future had in store for him but it's amazing he's alive and well today and seems very very happy and at peace. What an amazing man!!!
Got hit by a bus since.
He is like rasputin.
The number of people watching Indycar has not decreased, but the number of people willing to watch it LIVE has...there are lots of factors for this, fuel is more expensive, so going THERE is more expensive. TV quality was horrible back them, but now you can have a super high quality image with full surround sound in the comfort of your home. Safety standards in the tracks also reduced the maximum capacity and increased ticket prices...I could go on and on...
Ahhhh The Golden Age of CART/INDY loooong gone never to return.
I was working in Parker Johnstone's Corp tent that day.
Free food and drink of course, Woot-WOOT !
Watched on a few tv monitors. When "the pass" occurred, everyone in the tent , went outside their minds !
I remember watching the race. When I saw Zinardi pull that off, I about flipped the couch in amazement. The move that defined his career, and probably one of the best passes in the history of auto racing
Best passes? Illegal by all means.. cutting a corner
@@Antros23 but it wasn’t, so…
@@Antros23 Its called creating your own racing line. Its what happens when a hungry, aggressive driver is breathing down the neck of a less hungry and less aggressive leader on the final lap.
I was there that day. This race was always around or on my Birthday which is Sep. 10th. I was 6 years old and remember it like it was yesterday. It is one of my favorite Childhood memories.
I remember watching this, one of the ballsiest moves and one of the greatest pieces of car control I've ever seen.
Saw that live on TV when it happened and it's STILL MAGIC! Get you some of that!
Track limits anyone? I hate this bullshit too about scrutinizing every passing maneuver, but that was definitely gaining an advantage with all 4 wheels off track.... he braked later than he knew he could, and used an area that is not the racing surface to keep his position.
This cut cost him more time
Right, but the problem is he cost the other driver to lose time. Not only did the other driver have to back out to avoid a collision, he almost hit him again as Z reenetered the track. Clear advantage on a poor overtake
time is not the issue, he gained a position!
Fully agree with you
Different times,... The shit Prost and Senna pulled back in the day at Suzuka wouldn't fly these days neather. Schumacher tried those old school tricks ( tho very dirty and poorly exicuted) and lost all his points. Rightly so. But different times different rules.
Wow that was my times of IndyCar. And if it is your first whatever it is then it stays with you forever and it will always be your reference point. That's why to me todays indycar are like toys of spec series. They are so compact and rapid like karting. And 90ties that cars looked heavy, fast serious, majestic and beautifully shaped. And they were ultra characteristics like Herta's Shell car or Pennzoil of Gil de Ferran or Valvolive of Robby Gordon or Michael Andretti's Texaco Havoline or Targets of Alex and Jimmy. So you see this was my times and nostalgia kicks in. Of course I don't mind younger generation appreciates todays IndyCars because it is their times. They'll feel nostalia about it some time in a future :)
FIA today:
5 sec penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage
+
5 sec penalty for returning unsafely
Wich would not have being wrong at all in this case
@@joaopicaify Meanwhile FIA during the early 90s whats that I see dangerous driving I LOVE IT keep it going.
I don’t think CART was an FIA event but correct me if I’m wrong
Finally Laguna Seca is back to the Indycar Schedule.
Ask yourself the following question:
Would Zanardi have been able to overtake Herta if he had entered the corkscrew slowly enough to avoid putting all 4 wheels off the track?
If the answer is "no", then Zanardi gained an advantage by going off the track and this should've been an illegal overtake.
Not with 1996 rule.
I agree, yet I have no knowledge of the CART regulations concerning a situation as such.
The overtaking itself was clean albeit clearly Zanardi was aware he couldn't keep the car on the track .....
@@INDIGOBLUE555 The track was defined as the metaled surface, and his left side wheels stayed on the asphalt patch inside the curbs.
@@peggygeren4169 So the tarmac slice beyond the curb was still to be considered "track" ......
Herta didn't complain as far as I know, so no matter if Zanardi was cheating or simply smartly playing with the regulations.
@@INDIGOBLUE555Probably the asphalt strip inside was added to prevent dust and stones being thrown onto the track when cars put their inside wheels over the curbs. They failed to adapt the rules to match that intent.
It was probably Zanardi's last chance to pass, and after the "save" he made a few laps earlier when he went all the way onto the dirt, downhill at very high speed, Alex probably thought he could do anything with the car. He tried it and it worked & turned out to be technically legal.
The pass itself was done so quickly and decisively with Zanardi making his intention clear that Herta had to let him go past, so Z was only putting himself at risk. Alex was slower on corner exit and I think Bryan could have repassed if he hadn't already decided that it was illegal. You can tell that initially he loomed right up on the tail at the bottom of the corkscrew and then seemed to relax all the way to the finish. Rahal team may not have officially lodged a protest, but I bet something was said initially.
I feel sorry for him because he was leading the race on his own speed for once, when so many times his team would try some fuel-saving strategy that ended up hurting him by the end.
American open wheel racing at its best - full spectator stands too! How things change
I wonder how many times Ross Chastain watched this
He had Greg Moore, Dale Sr. and Dan Wheldon at least riding inside the car guiding him when he made that move. The Racing Gods kept him alive and in contention.
I'm not a religious man but then again I tend to not have any "heroes" either. I guess today it's time to start praying, for our legend and hero Alex Zanardi.
P1nkR #Forza Alex !!!!
in F1, zanardi would've gotten like, a 30 second penalty for that overtake.
He should have. It's called cheating.
@@truantray no, it's legal, he got off track only after passing Herta, plus he lost time by going off track
@@mattsuper1366
No. In modern F1 it would not be legal. You can't say "he got off track only after passing Herta". Man, he got off track because he brake too late when he was BEHIND Herta. He did not complete the pass, he overtake Herta BECAUSE he was too fast to make the first corner.
Totally. A shame.
@@truantray no he shouldn't. Its call racing...
Just amazing really.Moments like this are why i love racing.
My husband and I were at the corkscrew that day and witnessed this first hand. Legendary!
"they say ya cut the course!"
'' Give up the time gained''
Went straight to the comments looking for my iRacing peoples.
"They say you fucked a horse"
CART in the 1990s was pretty awesome, it only failed due to politics. This should be the model for fixing F1, just give it a few minor tweaks and you'd be good to go. I'd say it should also be the model for fixing IndyCar but that is A: obvious and B: impossible, the politics haven't changed and probably never will.
crusherbmx Indy is going back in the CART direction. They used the design of CART for their safer car. They also brought back Portland. Of course the on going joke about bringing back Laguna Seca.
The 90's were great, early to mid 2000's not bad.
Luckily, things have already changed. The Indycar season this year (2021) is one of the best ever. I was a fan of Indycar/CART/Champcar in the 90s. And if you take your time and watch some of those old races (even the better ones) you'll see what a really great time we have as fans of Indycar racing today.
My dad calls it “the Zanardi line” and every time he sees me cut the quark screw on the sim he says that lol
We have the same dad lmao.
quark screw
@@B__L yes that’s what the corner is called
@@riverpage7896 Corkscrew.
@@riverpage7896 I'm pretty sure it's spelled "corkscrew", but I can see why you thought it was written that way.
I happened to be there that day. I was 10 years old, Shaquille O'Neal Magic jersey, worst sunburn of my life. I actually didn't fully understand what had even happened on that day and that this one would go down as legendary! The thing I actually remember the most was one of the cars caught on fire right in front of us. It was a blue color if my memory serves me right. What a crazy day.
Alex Zanardi was in his prime then. Great team he drove for too. Great car. Chip Ganassi and his team were one of the top and best teams out there in this racing category. So much talent. Then there were some other great drivers and teams out there too numerous to mention. Good times back then.
It was one of those amazing races I saw live and never forget
I remember that. What a great era for CART, about 1980-2000. I miss personalities like Zanardi, Herta, Andretti, De Ferran, etc.
I lived in Pittsburgh at the time and my father worked for PPG when it was then called the PPG cup in terms of the championship trophy. Very cool.
When race cars were really really really cool.
Found this while looking up the rush song but as a racing fan pleasantly surprised with this haha
Le Ann Lucsa - I too was there - right at the cork screw! right under a tree there walking back to the pits - turned around, and (what he video doesn't show is that he got a bit air born going over the rumble strip). I could not believe it. I drove up from Santa Barbara for the day. Expected a good show, but not that! Laguna Seca is a really awesome track. And yes, the officials should have called that an off track excursion. That whole season was awesome.
He kept two wheels on the metalled surface, therefore legal through a loophole in the rules.
2 wheels on #legal
Cart racing or IndyCar in the 1990s. One of the best American racing categories ever surely ? Ahh what a flashback. Great drivers and teams. Great racing. Well I tell you I really miss it for sure anyway.......
The greatest period in America auto racing history. It's a shame that Tony George destroyed the greatest racing America has ever seen.
Agreed.
Greatest period, but not the greatest move performed. Poorly executed.
Great period no doubt, the quality drivers, teams, and solid sponsors, all good.
Although I've not been to Laguna Seca for IndyCar, I traveled to many IndyCar races around the country as a fan.
Also, in my opinion the heyday of CanAm racing, simultaneous with Indy Champ cars, and then (a fave memory for me) was USAC Stock cars, Al and Bobby Unser, Don White, Roger McClusky, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, AJ Foyt, on everything from pavement, dirt, to road courses.
Great time for sure, a lot of the impact was simply being from Indianapolis, with so much incredible racing all around (Fairgrounds mile dirt, Indianapolis Raceway Park's oval, and road course, Speedrome 1/4 mile paved, and of course IMS.)
Incredible memories in addition to 8mm film (w/sound) documenting a variety of them.
Agreed, but the Indycar race this weekend, 2019, should be pretty darn good, and is CART having won that fight. I mean the IRL is dead, Tony George is nowhere, and Indycar is again the best drivers from all over the world driving road, street and oval courses.
A Person It’s getting there... I hope.
Football has "the hand of God" of Maradona. Motor racing has this.
Go Alex.. we're all with you!!!
i miss CART/Champ Car :(
He might not have F1, but this will always be with him! He made cart popular, and now wins the Olympics! What a hart!
I actually watched this live in '96, and it still gets me to this day. That was a gutsy piece of racing, and I became an instant fan of Zanardi right then and there, before he went on to win consecutive championships in the following years. He was always brash, sometimes flaunting the rules, but always so much fun to watch, Mister Donut.
Here, he was perfectly within the bounds of the then-current rules... Alex went off the track at the NEXT corner, so he technically completed the pass legally. Hell, even F1 rules don't care if you go off at a corner (once) if you don't gain a position or a lasting advantage from it. But they will penalize you if you do it more than once in a race. Either way, the move was banned after, but it was a brilliant thing to watch back in the day.
To this day I don't understand how this was a legal pass. Such is life.
It would’ve been truly awesome if the pass was clean.
I watched it live, it was so cool! Zanardi was at his best place
Mike Hull (Ganassi Racing Managing Director) talks about Alex practicing this move on this week's Marshall Pruett Podcast (Episode 204). Alex would practice running off-line in overtaking zones (the hairpin, turn 5 and the corkscrew) at the end of his practice runs to see what grip there would be if he tried this. He'd go hard on the brakes, let off, then back on hard. I've never noticed it before but you can see where he gets on the brakes for the second time at around 4:41 when his brakes lock up. Mike also noted that Alex overcooked it a little. Even Alex admitted that he carried a bit too much speed. Still one of the best overtakes of all time.
CART was simple great. Great racing on very cool racetracks. I loved it and despite having the better drivers F1 wasn't as exciting very often back then.
Zanardi in that target car was absolute magic, should have never left to go to F1, what could have been......
Beautiful racecars. 99 Reynards, Lotus 49, Lola CanAm and Porsche 962, my all time favorites.
Kind of a reckless move. There was no way he was going to make the corner. Good job by Herta maintaining his(correct) line. The racing line.
If it's the racing line, why did Herta finish in second? (/s, but only to an extent)
He made the pass before going off track. But yeah, it was reckless, but, he still made the pass. Hehe
I feel like this should be a thing in all racing. Especially f1. On otherwise slow corners put some sausage curbs and obstacles to potentially destroy your car by going over but allow passing to be done across them. That’s triple the excitement. Will he cash, will he hit the other driver, will he gain the position. Enough sterilization and rules add safe yet exciting obstacles to pass. Do this on catalyuna since the track is notorious for not allowing passing. First corner add a cut zone but put obnoxious bumpy curbs to make it a last resort effort to pass people.
"...an area you would not normally pass"
Ya no shit? Because it's dangerous and he didn't pass him on the race track - he went flying off it and then took the position. This is why the F1 rule of giving the place back is crucial and would have been serving a purpose in this scenario.
That pass is full of gusto, the view on tv doesn't accurately portray the difficulty of that particular section of track on Laguna Seca. Absolutely brilliant.
I was there as a photojournalist and I shot the pass at cork screw. Bryan and team Rahal were stunned
I got chills and short of breath just watching this again, man I miss those days.
20 years later this is still THE PASS
Andrea Roll amazing right? illegal as fuck tho with current regulations
And much more difficult giving there are multiple curb/bumps over the apex now.
CART was the best open wheel championship of the world, even better than F1, I don´t understan why they let it die.
That’s an lllegal pass despite my love for Zanardi
First game I ever owned for PlayStation was a CART Racing game. Wish I still had it.
That's some Gran Turismo 2 shit right there.
I fucking love this comment
Thank you Past Gas podcast #DonutMedia and bless the legendary Zanardi
I saw this in person while standing at the bottom of the corkscrew for these amazing tight final laps and I was initially confused as to what had happened before I realized we had witnessed one of the most exciting moments in motorsports.
My dad and I used to watch every single F1 and Champ Car race live no matter the time. I was 13 when this happened and I remember watching it live like it was yesterday. Just incredible. Feel bad for Herta but this moment is legendary.
Great race I remember watching this live back in the day it was carzy!! Herta looked like he wanted to cry after the race
Oh man, great video. The good old days...
A last word on Alex Zanardi’s illegal pass. For real racers like Bryan Herta, Bobby Rahal and Rahal Racing, their correct decision NOT to protest the track shortening pass, says it’s less about written rules ( Indycar vs Formula 1 ) and more about sport. TK
Trying a move like that on the corkscrew takes some serious balls, especially on the last lap. Zanardi deserves all the credit for that pass.
and then, 23 years later, the man's son won the race
Only 1/2 a mile longer than Lime Rock., the BEST place to watch a race in America.
"12 years ago" holy shit.
At 3:03 it kinda looks like the official to the left is just playing with big R/C cars.
Goosebumps at 4:44 when you can hear and see both cars drop the throttle and drag-race out of the chaos of the corkscrew.
They sound so damn good too
Oh this brings lots of good memories. Specially since I was there.
The definition of FULLY SEND IT!
That pass well-defines the inspiration that is Alex Zanardi!
Don’t know if it was a “brilliant move”, if herta had turned in they both would have been out.
Not brilliant at all. Zanardi has always been bit to crazy.
@@MobySlick If you are not crazy you aren't racing in indycar, especially in 1996
Was just looking up some of my all time favourite racing moments, and this was one of them - Zanardi is amazing, and his upbeat approach to life in interviews has always been inspiring too!
I don't see how people can't see that this was an unsportsmanlike pass, even if not explicitly barred.
Track limits exist for a reason, and without obedience to such, you get incidents like the Formula Renault 2.0 fiasco at Paul Ricard. And even without the wreck, it simply comes down to being unsportsmanlike. There's a reason why in every game with a penalty system at that course, you'd receive some sort of penalty there. Same as if Zanardi had an opportunity to make a pass on the pit road exit approaching turn 1. There's a reason why any driver that makes an overtake like that forgives the position on their own valor: sportsmanship.
And regardless of spectacle, it's still wrong. Had Herta not backed off, it would've been two wrecked vehicles.
And if you want to argue about motorsports not being fair, don't bitch about the money crisis of F1, Red Bull between 2012 and 2014, or anything else. And certainly don't bitch about the start of the GP3 race at Sochi.
Me thinks the defenders don't want to ruin a feel-good ending. You know, like how almost everybody defends the pass the Audi made on the Vette and the Peugeot in 2011, which would've been illegal then, and still illegal now, as showed by the most recent race at Silverstone.
+FormulaChris085 What happened at Paul Ricard with the 2.0's? I can't find any info on it.
A driver was decapitated because of a similar passing move
+nino Barlini Dear god, what year was that?
+FormulaChris085 f**k the unsportsmanlike like pass he made a risky move and it was amazing to watch, sure the position should of been swapped after a review but how stupid would it of looked if he just gave it back
+nino Barlini when was it
Zanardi got my respect after that move in the corkscrew. Still amazes me everyone I've watched since I was a kid. Top 5 pass all time.
I was standing under the trees at the bottom of the corkscrew with my dad and brother.
Every time I see that pass makes me smile..
I love the way everyone that's had a winge about the 'pass' does so through the prism of 'today' rather than an understanding of the context of 'then'. 'Then' if you wanted to go 'cross country' and cut out road surface, you could. Because it was not going to be to your advantage. You could also continue to race in the pit lane.
As for sportsmanship? Pfft. There is none! It's a business. A business which, until ten years ago, give or take, operated under the incorrect assumption of sportsmanship, rather than the respect or disrespect drivers held for each other. Sportsmanship is for sport...
Dumbass...racing is a sport as well as a business...the same as football or horse racing.
OK, Ok, ok, I was there. I watched the the whole race from the outside top of the Corkscrew. We are little spots in the shot almost every lap on the video. What you don't get from watching it on tv is the amount of ground they are covering and how quick the elevation change is lap after lap. When Zanardi stuck it off in there on the last lap, I thought he was toast. It all happened so fast it, it was very exciting. He was moto-crossing for sure. Major cahones, you know?
That's some desperate iRacing shit right there.
+Dominic D'Alesio so this is why it is called racing...!!!!
"They say you cut the course, you have to give back the time gained."
Ariel Hartung Exactly LOL
in iracing you'd 100% get a penalty for this.
I was waiting for the microphone graphic to pop up in the middle of the screen and hear some person screaming vulgarities and threatening reporting. Man this video is triggering from my rookie days.
I was at that race as a child & saw take the checkered, then years later as an adult living in Hawaii I watched him complete the Ironman World Championship. Inspirational man to me.
Those were the best looking, best sounding cars. F1 had nothing on them.
Are u crazy? F1 have always been superior BY FAR. The only thing F1 doesn't have is Laguna Seca.
@@mikaelsmith5094 the only thing F1 doesn't have is Road America, Laguna seca and The Indianapolis 500. F1 is a sh*t show now. Devalued by politics and outsider influence.
@@aaronersoy3888 So you compare Formula CART in the 1996 to the actual F1? Compare it to the 90s era of Formula 1 and let's see. Then what about 24h of Le Mans? Montecarlo street circuit, Spa Francorchamp Eau Rouge, Monza the temple of speed, Suzuka, Interlagos. Amazing circuits in which no car of any category can beat a F1 ever. F1 is the ultimate car for racing whether u like it or not. Unless u wanna just go fast and turn left like Indianapolis.
@@mikaelsmith5094 I'll spell it out so you understand.
Formula one, boring.
Indycar not boring.
FIA WEC not boring.
Rally not boring.
Formula one boring.
I appreciate all motorsport, but formula one is like watching the Kardashians with race cars.
@@aaronersoy3888 Best drivers in the world are in Formula 1. That's why it's boring. 'cause they are all very close. All other categories have more difference and they result more exciting. Spell this.
I really do think that is great that 16 years later we are still having this argument. Just today 4 people have looked this up on RUclips. He made the pass clean then went off and saved it. That is the fact but 16 years ago shared your argument but now I say he made the pass clean and with in the rules. I'm happy that 16 years later people still care enough to argue about it. CART at that time was incredible.
The good ole days before Tony George ruined everything. At least we have the memories and RUclips to relive them.
+Joe Seijo 1996 bro
I've watched this video a gazillion times, and it's still awesome. Also shown for a friend for the first time. By the way, FTG !!!
I think, if you had to be the review judge on this one, you just have to give it to the guy who had the stones to overtake on the stupidest turn there is on the CART circuit. This is so crazy, unexpected, unsafe, and a miracle he held the car together afterwards, that everybody has shat too many bricks celebrating for some higher authority to take it away.
What you do as a judge is put the rules in place afterwards that never ever allow for these sorts of events again, and you let the world file this pass in the Hall of Fame.
I was there...in the port-a-pot right next to the track. For the life of me I couldn't understand why the crowd and announcers were going ape shit. Poor Herta. Alex Zanardi was amazing to watch.
Replace Herta with Verstappen and both cars would have been on the back of a truck
Que geração sensacional. Zanardi, vasser, Paul Tracy, al unser Jr.... As pinturas clássicas da chip ganassi e penske ... Que época! vou até jogar carta world series novamente !