‘Courage changes everything.’ Ganassi team, racing community join to dedicate the Zanardi Corkscrew at Laguna Seca

MONTEREY, Calif. — It was a move so bold that nobody believed their eyes when Alex Zanardi rolled through the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca Raceway and completed one of the most iconic passes in modern motorsports history.

Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with the 1996 championship on the line, Zanardi was racing Bryan Herta on the final lap. As they approached the Corkscrew, a brutally steep left-right downhill section of the track, Herta had the inside line and appeared to have the corner covered.

Zanardi, depending on which version of the story he told you over the years, braked extremely late and went around the outside. His momentum carried him alongside Herta into the left-hander, the two cars nearly side-by-side, before Zanardi cut across Herta as the track fell away.

Zanardi somehow kept his No. 4 under control through the right-hand portion of the Corkscrew and completed the race-winning move at a spot on the track where there was barely a conventional passing opportunity. He used incredible braking, car control and confidence, and Herta had to concede as Zanardi emerged ahead.

“It was quintessential Alex, making the impossible a possibility,” said Chip Ganassi Racing team manager Mike Hull.

The pass was instantly iconic. The Ganassi crew erupted in celebration, and onboard footage showed Zanardi throwing his hands up in disbelief.

The breathtaking pass gave Zanardi the race victory, while teammate Jimmy Vasser, who finished third, won the first championship in Chip Ganassi Racing history. That day kicked off a run of four consecutive titles for CGR — a stretch that, 30 years later, has grown into an NTT INDYCAR SERIES-record 18 championships.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of CGR’s first championship and Zanardi’s unbelievable bravery that day, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday honored the two-time series champion by dedicating the Corkscrew to the late Zanardi, who died peacefully in May at the age of 59.

The dedication ceremony featured Zanardi’s car from that day and a plaque that will stand in the Corkscrew honoring “The Pass.” It is engraved with one of Zanardi’s many mottos: “Courage Changes Everything.”

“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, it was that damn Alex Zanardi that just stole the show from everybody,” said team owner Chip Ganassi.

“He stole the show, and along with stealing the show in 1996, that was our first championship. How many times Vasser and he went on tour afterward, and Vasser was so mad. He said, ‘All I wanted to talk about was it was my first championship! And it was our team's first championship!’ And it was Alex Zanardi. He stole the show, and he stole my heart, and he stole a lot of people's hearts that day, and it was an iconic moment. One of the truly iconic moments in sports.

“There are iconic moments in sports, and that Alex Zanardi, boy, he sure gave us auto racing people one of those that day here in 1996.”

The legend of “The Pass” has grown in the three decades since Zanardi was bold enough not only to try it, but to successfully pull it off.

Those in attendance that day weren't even sure what had happened because the changing elevation blocked their view. They only saw Zanardi emerge from the turn ahead of Herta and needed multiple replays on the track's video screen to understand what they had witnessed.

But as the years passed, the story of how “The Pass” came to be grew into legend, thanks in large part to Zanardi’s effusive and colorful storytelling.

“I mean, it was unbelievable, especially when you heard the version Alex told of what was going through his mind,” said Juan Pablo Montoya, who replaced Zanardi in the car three years later and completed the first of three four-peat championship runs for CGR. Vasser won the first title, Zanardi won the next two, followed by Montoya.

“Today he would have to give the place back for exceeding track limits.”

Montoya is correct. As the years passed, the rules were tweaked, and the way Zanardi left the racing line to complete the pass would no longer be permitted.

It was within the rules then, though, and Zanardi had multiple versions of how long he needed to set himself up for the move.

Vasser, who could not be present at Laguna Seca for the Zanardi dedication, sent memories to be shared during the ceremony.

“Alex was the absolute best teammate any driver could ever have. He was genuinely happy for me when I won or did well, and it was the same for me when he won, which, by the way, was way more than me,” Vasser said.

“I truly believe in those early years of Target sponsorship at Chip Ganassi Racing, the culture that developed across the teams set the foundation for the amazing dynasty it has become.

“But, by the way, I still think Alex’s foot slipped off the brake pedal. Just kidding. It has been a long time coming for this honor to be bestowed on Alex. He was truly one of one. I loved him.

“The story of ‘The Pass’ grew with every outing. First, it was the last lap, trying to figure out how he could get around him. Then, the next time, it grew to five laps, and he was strategizing where and when. Then that grew to 10 laps. Then the last story he told was that he could see Bryan’s eyes looking at him when he made the pass. Bryan wore a dark-tinted helmet lens, and I decided to call him out on his bullshit as the story kept growing. Alex just smiled and said, ‘You know me, Jimmy.’”

Scott Dixon, who later joined CGR and was part of the organization’s second four-peat of championships, also laughed at how the lore of “The Pass” has steadily grown.

“It was epic. I think everybody around the world was like, ‘How did he do that?’ And I'm sure even when he came out the other side he was like, ‘How did I pull that off as well?’” Dixon said.

“But, you know, I think his version of it, or how he had set it up for laps, and he could see Bryan's eyes through his tinted visor — Zanardi's stories were the best stories. I think his book really tells the story of how he saw it in his own mind, which might be very different from many other people.

“The sad thing is, a few years later, that pass wouldn't even have been possible. It would have been reversed, or, you know, track limits and all this kind of crazy stuff that we have now. But that's when racing was racing. It was so cool to see somebody have the courage and craziness to pull that off. You just won't see that stuff these days.”

Max Papis, a fellow Italian who grew up with Zanardi, spoke Friday morning with Zanardi’s wife and son about the Corkscrew dedication and passed along a message of appreciation from the family.

“They told me to tell you guys they are extremely grateful. They would have never expected something like this, and unfortunately, they are not in the spirit yet to be able to share these moments,” said Papis. “They are extremely grateful for the fact that you guys even remembered him.”

The truth is, Zanardi was such a larger-than-life figure that he will never be forgotten.