‘Tag’ named as one of five new inductees
Versatile racer from Quebec best known for excelling in Champ Car and IndyCar
Alex Tagliani, one of Canada’s most diversified racers, will be honoured when the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame holds its annual induction ceremony in two weeks.
There are many racers who excel in one form of racing, but very few that excel in several branches of the sport.
Beginning his career in open-wheel karts and small-engine Formula cars, Tagliani has adapted well to several types of racing and has established a successful career at some of the highest levels of North American motorsport.
“Tag” (or “Tags”) has raced stock cars and trucks in several disciplines in Canada and the United States, and competed in Australian V8 Super Cars. But he is best known for being a steady and dependable competitor in Champ Car and IndyCar racing.
To honour his accomplishments, Tagliani will be one of five inducted into the Motorsport Hall (CMHF) during a gala evening in the CBC Building’s Glen Gould Theatre on Oct. 17.
“It feels amazing to be recognized in such a way,” Tagliani said about his induction into the CMHF. “It is such an honour not only for me, but also for the people that have supported me throughout my racing career: my family, sponsors, friends and fans.”
After an introduction to karting during a family trip to Italy when he was 10, the young Tagliani knew racing was for him. His heroes included two of the best in the sport: Gilles Villeneuve and Niki Lauda.
He competed in karts, Formula 125 and 2000 and other classes, receiving numerous accolades between 1987 and1993. Then it was time to get serious, as the Laval, Que., native decided to make racing his livelihood.
He started racing in the Toyota Atlantic Championship in1996, placing seventh in points that season with a podium finish at Trois-Rivières. He was honoured to be named Rookie of the Year. In a total of four years in Atlantics, he won six races and sat on pole eight times.
Taking over from the late Canadian racer Greg Moore, Tagliani joined Forsythe Racing in 2000 and ran in the Champ Car World Series until 2007, when it was merged with the IndyCar Series. During his 131 races with various teams, he won the 2004 Champ Car race at Road America, took five poles and amassed 14 podiums. He then competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series, running 72 races over the next eight seasons. Highlights were being named IndyCar Rookie of the Year in 2009 and winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500 in 2011, the 100th anniversary of the race.
But while he was competing in the fastest of open-wheel cars, he also climbed into a stock car to try a segment of the sport that was foreign to him. In 2007, NASCAR Canada took over the operation of the CASCAR Super Series, a Canadian national stock car series. Driving for the Hamilton-based Dave Jacombs team, Tagliani ran a couple of races that year and got his feet wet driving a race car with a roof.
Ever since, he’s raced in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (he’s a team owner as well as a driver) and NASCAR’s Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series. He’s also competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, which has included racing in the Chevy Silverado 250 race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
And while trading paint on the stock car circuits, he continued driving for several IndyCar teams. Between 2008 and 2014, Tag started in 70 events. His best Indy 500 finish was a 10th in 2010 while in this year’s 500, he placed 17th driving for A.J. Foyt’s team.
One of Canada’s greatest ambassa- dors in the sport, Tagliani also mentors young racers. He and his wife, Bronte, run the Tagliani Foundation, a non-profit organization to raise awareness and to help those suffer- ing from acute allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis.
Tagliani is one of four Canadian builders and racers who will be inducted at the ceremony in the Glenn Gould Studio in the CBC building on Front St. in downtown Toronto.
Builder and significant contributor Ralph Luciw, five-time CASCAR stock car champion Don Thomson Jr., and the late racer and track builder John Chisholm who is also in the Maritime Motorsport Hall of Fame, are the others.
The International inductee will be retired Formula One driver and team owner Sir Jackie Stewart. Tickets are $85 per person and may be purchased through the CMHF site. Freelance writer Tim Miller is a frequent contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. To reach him, email wheels@thestar.ca and put his name in the subject line.
“It is such an honour not only for me, but also for the people that have supported me throughout my racing career.”
ALEX TAGLIANI
ON HIS INDUCTION