Alex Tagliani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Tagliani
Alex Tagliani at the 2015 500 Festival Parade in Indianapolis, Indiana
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1973-10-18) October 18, 1973 (age 51) Lachenaie, Quebec, Canada
Awards	2009 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, 2011 Indianapolis 500 pole winner
IndyCar Series career
73 races run over 9 years
2016 position	31st
Best finish	13th (2010)
First race	2008 Grand Prix of Long Beach (Long Beach)
Last race	2016 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 3
Champ Car career
131 races run over 8 years
Best finish	7th (2004, 2005)
First race	2000 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead)
Last race	2007 Gran Premio Tecate (Mexico City)
First win	2004 Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America (Road America)
Wins Podiums Poles 1 14 5
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
8 races run over 6 years
2016 position	56th
Best finish	39th (2014)
First race	2009 NAPA Auto Parts 200 (Montreal)
Last race	2016 Road America 180 (Road America)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 5 4
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
6 races run over 6 years
2020 position	65th
Best finish	56th (2019)
First race	2014 Chevrolet Silverado 250 (Mosport)
Last race	2020 Sunoco 159 (Daytona RC)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 3 2
NASCAR Pinty's Series career
126 races run over 16 years
Car no., team	No. 80 (Groupe Theetge)
2024 position	18th
Best finish	2nd (2018)
First race	2007 NAPA Autopro 100 (Montreal)
Last race	2024 WeatherTech 200 (Mosport)
First win	2008 Edmonton 100 (Edmonton Airport)
Last win	2023 Tiffany Gate Grand Prix of Toronto (Toronto)
Wins Top tens Poles 12 90 12
Statistics current as of May 8, 2025.

Alexandre Tagliani (born October 18, 1973), known as "Tag", is a professional racing driver from Canada. He currently races part-time in the NASCAR Canada Series. He drives the No. 80 Chevrolet Camaro for Groupe Theetge.

Alex Tagliani has raced in many different types of car racing. These include open-wheel cars, stock cars, and sports car racing. He has competed in major series like Atlantic Championship, Champ Car, IndyCar Series, NASCAR Pinty's Series, and NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Racing Career Highlights

Early Days in Atlantic Championship

Tagliani started his professional racing career in the Atlantic Championship in 1996. He finished seventh in points during his first year. Later, with Forsythe Racing, he earned two wins in both 1997 and 1999. He consistently finished in the top four in the championship standings.

Champ Car Racing Years

Tagliani raced in the Champ Car series from 2000 until it ended in 2007. He joined Forsythe Racing in 2000. In his third race, he started from pole position and led most of the race in Brazil, almost getting his first win.

In 2001, Tagliani was part of a racing incident at the Lausitzring that involved another driver, Alex Zanardi.

He stayed with Forsythe until 2002. In 2003, he moved to the Rocketsports team. In 2004, he achieved his first and only Champ Car victory at Road America. He also earned four pole positions during his Champ Car career. Alex has said that the Panoz DP01 was one of the best open-wheel cars he ever drove.

IndyCar Series Adventures

In 2008, Tagliani started racing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. He also joined Conquest Racing for a few races in the IndyCar Series. He continued with Conquest Racing full-time in 2009.

Tagliani with fans at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after winning the pole position for the 2011 Indianapolis 500

In 2009, he finished ninth in Toronto, which was his best result that year. In August 2009, he signed a deal to drive for the new FAZZT Race Team starting in 2010.

In 2011, for the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, Tagliani won the pole position. This meant he started the famous race from the very front! Unfortunately, he had to leave the race early after hitting a wall.

Tagliani celebrating after winning 2011 Indianapolis 500 pole

His best finish in the Indianapolis 500 was tenth place in 2010. In the 2016 race, he started way back in 33rd place but managed to lead 11 laps, showing incredible skill.

NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series Races

Tagliani has also competed in some races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2009. In 2014, he drove for Team Penske and won the pole position at Road America. He almost won the race, finishing second after running out of fuel on the last lap.

Later in 2014, he made his first start in the Camping World Truck Series for Brad Keselowski Racing. He earned the pole position and led some laps in that race too.

Alex Tagliani's 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series car at Road America

In 2015, he again won a pole position in the Xfinity Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He was close to winning but was hit by another driver near the end of the race. He also finished fifth in a Truck Series race at Mosport that year.

He continued to race occasionally in the Xfinity and Truck Series until 2020, often showing strong performances.

NASCAR Pinty's Series Success

Tagliani started racing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (now NASCAR Pinty's Series) in 2007. In 2008, he won his first race in this series at Edmonton Airport.

He became a full-time driver in the series in 2014 with his own team. In 2015, he won his second race at Sunset. The next year, 2016, was very successful, with three wins at Sunset, Toronto, and Edmonton International Raceway. He finished third in the championship points that year.

Alex Tagliani at Autodrome Chaudière in 2015, during a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race.

In 2017, he joined Scott Steckly's 22 Racing team. In 2018, he finished second in the championship. In 2019, he won at Toronto. He has continued to be a strong competitor in the series, winning races in 2022 and 2023.

Sports Car Racing

Tagliani has also raced in sports car events since the mid-2000s. He competed in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the United SportsCar Championship.

Personal Life

Alex Tagliani has severe food allergies and has worked to raise public awareness about them. He has promoted this through organizations like Food Allergy Canada.

He is also a big supporter of young Go-Karting talent. He even has a business called "Tag E-Karting and Amusement" in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, which helps promote the sport.

He often shares his great memories from his racing career, especially from his wins in places like Saskatoon and Toronto. He is considered a very important figure in Canadian Motorsports.

Motorsports Career Results

Career Summary

Indianapolis 500 Results

Alex Tagliani participating in the Pit Stop Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2015

Images for kids

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  Alex Tagliani at the 2015 500 Festival Parade in Indianapolis, Indiana

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  Tagliani with fans at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after winning the pole position for the 2011 Indianapolis 500

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  Tagliani celebrating after winning 2011 Indianapolis 500 pole

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  2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series car at Road America

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  Autodrome Chaudière 2015 - NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (Photo Paul-Émile Poulin-Jacques)

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  Alex Tagliani participating in the Pit Stop Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2015

See also

In Spanish: Alex Tagliani para niños