Alex Zanardi popped out of his wheelchair and onto the concrete garage floor to await his turn to climb into the race car. He pushed his way toward the car, then lifted himself into the cockpit to practice a driver change as seamless as any done by his competitors.

The swap took nearly 30 seconds when Zanardi first began working with teammates. After several practice rounds Friday at Daytona International Speedway, his BMW Team RLL was nearing 15-second swaps. It was more evidence of the remarkable resilience Zanardi has shown since his legs were severed in a 2001 accident.