Zanardi injured in high-speed collision
Associated Press

KLETTWITZ, Germany -- Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi was airlifted to a hospital after he was hit by another car at almost 200 mph Saturday while inching onto the oval during the American Memorial 500.

His injuries were "very serious," CART officials said. Alex Tagliani, the Canadian driver who struck Zanardi, was reported to be "awake and alert."

Zanardi was leading the race with about 15 laps to go when he his car was smashed after he left the pits, scattering debris across the asphalt track.

Zanardi's car shattered when it was struck at full force before a crowd of 87,600 at the EuroSpeedway, CART's first race in Europe.

The 34-year-old Italian, seeking his first victory this season, is one of CART's most high-profile drivers. He also had two stints racing in Formula One.

The race was originally called the German 500 but was renamed to honor the terrorist victims in the United States. This was one of the few American-based sports events taking place this weekend.

Kenny Brack won the race under a yellow flag. Max Papis was second and Patrick Carpentier third.

That's awful!!! Keep us updated on him, ok??? :(

That's sad! Takes the fun outta Kenny Brack winning the race...

But at least these people know what risks their up against...

Okay, here´s the latest info about the accident:

As Zanardi left the pit lane, his car suddenly begun to spin, causing Tagliani to crash it.
While Tagliani stayed conscious and is said to be recovering already, Zanardi is suffering from a severe loss of blood and both legs broken.

Update from tragic crash at American Memorial 500

According to DPA (German Press Agency), Zanardi lost both legs in that accident, one below and one above the knee.
He´s breathing without support and is also reacting, but is still suffering from the severe loss of blood.

Quoting the CEO of Eurospeedway, Hans-Joerg Fischer, Zanardi had obviously caused this crash after a driving mistake.