| Author | Message | ||
| DJ (Godfather)
Junior Member Username: Godfather Post Number: 68 Registered: 11-2002 |
He is a true inspiration. | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 851 Registered: 3-2002 |
I will never forget my encounter with Alex, in 1993 after the Montreal GP. After manhandling a sick Lotus for 90 minutes, he was walking through the pitlane back into his garage, where took a welcomed seat (we had jumped the track--shhh!). Obviously exhausted, he looked up at the crowd gathering outside the garage, and waved us in. He sat there and signed autographs for all who asked, even posing for pictures. That said a lot about him to me way back then, and I was happy to see him come over and succeed in CART. He really is an inspirational figure. BTW, does anyone remember last year's Sports Illustrated article about him? What ticked me off was the way in which they took an incredible story of survival and sensationalized it with the photos they chose to print. | ||
| Marcus Mayeux (Mmayeux73)
Member Username: Mmayeux73 Post Number: 430 Registered: 4-2002 |
Jon, I agree, I was bale to meet him a month before the accident while working at Hugo Boss in the Galleria here in Dallas, sat and talked to me for about 45 minutes and signed a Baldersarini Hugo Boss catalog! He is one of my favorite drivers and always will be! I never met someone so passionate about racing and family-he has to be one of the nicest people I have ever met. My hat goes off to him for being so determined and having such a good heart! Best regards, Marcus | ||
| Martin - Cavallino Motors (Miami348ts)
Advanced Member Username: Miami348ts Post Number: 4600 Registered: 5-2001 |
Very VERY well said Jon! | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 630 Registered: 8-2001 |
There was a one page write up (written by Alex) in one of last year's Autosport Magazine issues. It shows him on stage receiving an award from Michael Schumacher just two months after the accident. He walked on stage without assistance. The story was entitled "The Most Important Race of My Life". I had the article framed along with an autographed picture of Alex doing a victory donut in turn 1 at Long Beach in the Target CART car a few years ago during his championship run. He signed it for me and was a class act. Every day I think I am having a tough day or a bad day I look at that picture and tell myself how easy I have it. He is a true Champion in life much like other people/sports stars who have done the unthinkable such as George Foreman winning a fight in his late 40's (against World Champion Michael Moorer), Lance Armstrong beating cancer and then winning three tours, and Magic Johnson beating AIDS (he still only has HIV). I am convinced that there are people in life that have a winning attitude that enables them to win at anything. There are basically three types of people in life, those who watch it happen, those who wonder what happened, and those that MAKE it happen. Alex made the unthinkable happen! Regards, Jon P. Kofod 1995 F355 Challenge #23  | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 1502 Registered: 1-2002 |
Even more amazing (but not surprising) that he would have qualified 5th for the race, had he run it! And this is after being "out of racing" in the most major of ways for nearly 2 years!!!    | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 1568 Registered: 6-2001 |
When Chip wanted to fire Jimmy Vasser, Alex told him they were a team, and that put off Vasser's leaving the Target Team. A true gentlemen. Art | ||
| Aaron Williams (Aawil)
Junior Member Username: Aawil Post Number: 173 Registered: 8-2002 |
It's already one of my favorite racing moments. Great to see him back in a car again. | ||
| 89TCab (Jmg)
Member Username: Jmg Post Number: 448 Registered: 9-2001 |
Amazing to see him lapping at the track today in Germany...unbelievable what a strong mind and incredible medical care can do these days. - JMG |