Any time he gets time "off" between Champ Car
events, Alex Tagliani is busy with his personal training and preparation for
upcoming races. While many professional sports require advanced skills and a
high level of physical fitness, the nature of auto racing puts unique demands on
an athlete. Tagliani tailors his fitness routine and lifestyle to ensure optimum
health and performance on track for a sport that is far more demanding than it
may seem to a spectator.
Tagliani's fitness routine is designed to build strength and endurance to
withstand the "workout" of a race, and the added pressure of intense
g-forces and heat for sustained periods of time. Tagliani likens the
physical feel of a race to a constant aerobic workout at 100 degrees in a
firesuit and helmet, with limited breathing space and the threat of dehydration.
Another factor that influences the seemingly simple act of driving is the need
to maintain concentration on his driving strategy and the handling of the car,
which Tagliani claims is "essentially a mathematical equation."
Somewhere in all this intensity, Tagliani is attentive to the car beneath him
and communicates with his engineers to make appropriate adjustments as he's
driving or when he arrives in the pits for lightening quick stops.
Antoine L'Estage and his codriver Alan Ockwell of the Yokohama Canada Rally Team won the 2014 edition of the Rallye Defi by winning every stage of the rally.