Alonso now has Rolex 24 victory

Fernando Alonso is the third Formula One champion to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona after his role as anchor for Wayne Tay- lor Racing in the rainshortened endurance event.

Alonso drove the Cadillac DPi to the lead in each of his three stints at Daytona International Speedway. His final pass was of Felipe Nasr, who missed a turn and drove through a deep patch of water as Alonso stayed on course and took over the lead.

IMSA called a red flag shortly after that pass, and drivers waited in their pits almost two hours for a decision on the remainder of the race. It was called 10 minutes from the finish — the first time rain prevented the Rolex from going the distance.

Alonso joins Phil Hill (1964) and Mario Andretti (1972) as F1 champions to also win the most prestigious sports car event in North America. Alonso has two F1 titles but retired from that series in November. The Spaniard now has won the Rolex, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix. The next big event on his bucket list is the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Alex Zanardi’s return to a North American race for the first time since his legs were severed in a 2001 crash was hampered by mechanical problems, including an early electrical issue with the BMW-designed steering wheel that allowed the Italian to race without his prosthetic legs.

Zanardi used the wheel to accelerate, brake, shift and communicate with the car. Even though the Bobby Rahal- owned team finished 18 laps down in the GT Le Mans class, the venture was a success. Zanardi drove three times totaling 6 hours, 17 minutes.