PESCARA, ITALY - JUNE 18: Former Formula One driver and paracyclist Alex Zanardi reacts as he finishes Ironman 70.3 Italy race on June 18, 2017 in Pescara, Italy. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images for Ironman)

Former champion and Paralympic driver will compete at the 24 Hours of Daytona


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Italian driver Alex Zanardi lost both of his legs in an accident in 2001, but the former CART champion didn't let that stop him from competing in racing.

He returned to racing less than two years later to drive for BMW in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, and he later won gold medals at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Now, he has his sights set on racing at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona.

The 51-year-old announced he will drive the BMW M8 GTE at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona, and he will spend all of 2018 preparing for the race according to AutoBlog.

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The M8 GTE will have a new braking system, so there will be plenty of development and tuning for Zanardi next year.

Zanardi has four gold medals from the Paralympic Games, and he took up handcycling after his legs were amputated.

It's an amazing accomplishment that he will even be able to participate in the race, and his accomplishments after losing his legs are incredibly impressive and inspirational.

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