19 Years Ago

1996 has rightfully gone down as an infamous year in American open wheel racing history. It was of course the first year of the CART/IRL Split, the catalyst that began the sport's precipitous decline in the eyes of the sporting public. Personally though, it was the first year I watched an entire IndyCar season. My fandom was in its early stages, and I recall watching bits of the 1995 season, particularly the 500 and the Nazareth race, my first in person experience. Even that early, I was still mostly hooked, to the point where I was the only fifth grader on the block with an opinion on the Split (CART all the way, my dad and I called the IRL "rookies with rocket ships").

It is with that that my freshly minted 11 year old self sat down on September 8, 1996 to watch the CART season finale at Laguna Seca. Jimmy Vasser was in prime position to win the championship, but it was his Ganassi teammate Alex Zanardi who started from pole. Most of the race was a battle between Zanardi and Bryan Herta. Herta led at the laps ticked down. You know what happened at the famed Corkscrew on the final lap.

 

I was already getting really in to IndyCar racing, but this moment is when it truly became a part of me. At that moment, Zanardi became my favorite driver. What kid couldn't be awed at someone who could do that, who could change what the art of the possible was? It turns out Alex was just getting started, dominating CART in '97 and '98 before going back to Formula One. Again, you know the rest of the story, as Zanardi continues to be an inspiration to this day. Last month there were murmurs that he might try and run next year's 500. If he does (and I have no idea if it's possible or even that good an idea), I'll be cheering for him as loud as anyone else.

In the wake of Justin Wilson's passing, there's been a lot of talk about why we do this. Tony Kanaan wrote today on that question from a driver's perspective. From a fan's perspective, I can't speak for anyone else, but for me it's about the thrill of watching men and women do incredible things in badass race cars, things I can't even fathom. It's about hoping to see a moment like above, a moment that will take my breath away and go Wow! That's what keeps me going in the sport, not just through the tragedies but all the other garbage and negativity that seems to follow IndyCar wherever it go. The allure of wanting to be 11 years old again and amazed at what I just saw is too powerful.

And it all started with The Pass 19 years ago.