Tag: Tony Kanaan

Kanaan: ‘I Had a Great Career’

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Tony Kanaan admits that if he hadn’t finished third in the 2022 Indianapolis 500, he probably wouldn’t be talking about his final race coming up in May. Kanaan announced yesterday that the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 would be his final IndyCar race. The Brazilian driver has driven in Indycar/Champ Car since 1998.

How does a driver know it’s time to step aside?

“You don’t,” Kanaan said. “You’re never ready for this.
But you got to weigh your options. I went from a full-time
to a part-time. You’re 48. You had a great career. As
much as you don’t want to go, it’s there. If you’re smart,
you make the right decisions at the right time.”

Kanaan in the 500 has a win in 2013, a pole, nine top five finishes and 12 top 10s. In 2011 he started 33rd and passed 10 cars by the time the field reached the backstretch at the start. Only a caution flag prevented him from picking off a couple more cars. He led in each of his first seven 500s.

Kanaan after his popular win in 2013

He has 17 wins in Indycar racing14 poles, and 79 podiums. In winning the championship in 2004, Kanaan completed every lap of the season.

Kanaan and his Arrow McLaren team also announced a sponsor, SmartStop, a storage company, and the car number for Kanaan’s last ride, 66. The number has significance for the team and driver. His 318 consecutive starts is still the record.

“No. 66. Bruce McLaren and McLaren won their first race in 1966 Mark Donohue was here in ’72. My first go-kart number was No. 6. I picked that. My entire go-kart career,
I won five championships with that number. One of the races that I couldn’t race the 6, I raced 66. When Zak told me the story, the number, it’s just perfect.
That’s what we’re banking on,” Kanaan explained.

Kanaan has never been one to hide his feelings. Asked about how emotional Race Day will be, he said, “End of May, I think it’s going to get more difficult from now
on. I’m at peace in my decision. I have a great team
behind me. I think I had a great career. I have a really
good shot of winning this thing. If I win, might be sitting
here again next year. You never know.”

How will he fill his time after May?

“I’m probably going to come and bug Mark Miles and his team and Jay Frye here. I live five, ten minutes from here. Anything I can do? Can I warm the Corvette up? The Corvette needs a ride. Hey, Doug…”

Would he consider team ownership? It doesn’t sound likely.

“I actually own an eSports team that gives
me the feeling I don’t know if I really want to own a real
team ever. You never know. I mean, I love racing. I love challenges.
If the opportunity presents, 100%. I know for a fact my wife
will not let me spend any of my money, our money – her money, sorry – in a race team. But if the opportunity presents, I’ll consider. Anything that is involved in racing and INDYCAR, I’ll be willing to consider, for sure.”

Kanaan Will End Indycar Career after Indianapolis 500

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From @Indycar on Twitter

There will be a media conference at 2 PM Eastern Time today. I will have a story up afterwards,.

The time comes for all drivers. TK will be missed.

AMSP Adds NTT Data to Car 6; Kanaan Joins for 500

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Tony Kanaan at IMS testing

Last night I learned that NTT Data had parted ways with Chip Ganassi Racing. Today AMSP announces the company as their new multi year sponsor.

The news release from Arrow McLaren SP:

“NTT DATA joining our great group of partners is a huge boost for Arrow McLaren SP”

November 1, 2022

McLaren Racing and NTT DATA today announced a multiyear partnership with Arrow McLaren SP beginning with the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season on the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, driven by Felix Rosenqvist.  In addition, NTT DATA will partner with Arrow McLaren SP on a fourth car entry in the 2023 Indianapolis 500 with Tony Kanaan, who will be racing in his 22nd Indy 500.

NTT DATA will be the Lead Partner on Felix’s No. 6 Chevrolet for 10 races in the 2023 season, highlighted by the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, NTT DATA’s home race at Texas Motor Speedway, the Indy 500, Music City Grand Prix on the Streets of Nashville and the season finale at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. In addition to Felix’s Indy 500 entry, NTT DATA will be a major sponsor on Tony’s Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet for the world-renowned race.

The NTT DATA brand will be represented on Felix’s fire suit and team kit throughout the 2023 season. The global technology and business solutions provider will also serve as the Official IT Services Partner for the team’s operations and have associate branding on the cars of Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi.

NTT DATA’s parent company NTT has been the title sponsor of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2019 and is committed to delivering innovation and advancing technology through its partnerships.

Looking ahead to the 107th Running of the Indy 500, Tony joins a lineup of Arrow McLaren SP drivers who have experience at the front of the grid in the iconic race. Alexander, newcomer to the team in 2023, won the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016 and will race in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Pato, who drives the No. 5 car, finished second in the 2022 race, followed by Felix in fourth last season. Tony secured third place in the race last year.

Tony’s resume includes an Indy 500 win in 2013, runner-up finish in 2004 and three third-place finishes over 21 appearances in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” He also has won 17 INDYCAR races and a series championship in 2004. 

This will be the first year the Arrow McLaren SP team, led by Racing Director Gavin Ward, has a four-car lineup for the Indianapolis 500.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said: 

“NTT DATA joining our great group of partners is a huge boost for Arrow McLaren SP. I’m thrilled they will be representing our No. 6 car as a Lead Partner and a major sponsor for our fourth entry in the Indy 500, piloted by Tony Kanaan. Tony proved last year he can compete with the best of them, and I’m excited to see him put on a show with our team next May.”

Bob Pryor, CEO, NTT DATA Services, said: 

“We welcome the opportunity to partner with McLaren, a long-term and valued client, and to demonstrate how sponsorships simultaneously build awareness and enhance business-to-business relationships. NTT DATA is also proud of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ growth with a strong international stable of drivers, great leadership from Penske Entertainment, and a passionate fan base attracted to the highly competitive product – where any driver can win in any weekend.”

Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP driver, said:

“I look forward to representing NTT DATA once again. They’re a great partner and are committed to the series. I welcome them to the McLaren Racing family and am ready to start the season off in St. Petersburg, racing the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. It will also be great to race alongside Tony and learn from him as we prepare for the Indy 500.”

Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren SP Indianapolis 500 driver, said:

“I feel extremely lucky to get another shot racing in the Indianapolis 500. I’m excited to work with Pato, Felix and Alexander and race with the Arrow McLaren SP team. My biggest battle in last year’s race was against these three drivers so working with them and driving with them will be exciting for all of us.” Previous

43/4

BC39 Driven to Save lives Returns to IMS

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INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022) – Information about Driven2SaveLives BC39 Presented by WeatherTech track activity Wednesday, Aug. 3 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

(All times local):

3 p.m.: Drivers’ Meeting (RSVP to Suzi Elliott, selliott@brickyard.com)

4-10 p.m.: Public gates open

6 p.m.: Hot lap sessions (12 groups)

7 p.m.: Opening ceremonies

7:10 p.m.: Heat races (12 races)

9 p.m.: Stoops Pursuit

TICKETS: General Admission seating is $35 for Driven2SaveLives BC39 Presented by WeatherTech practice and the Stoops Pursuit, which includes first-come, first-served access to the Shaw Grandstand (Infield Turn 3) at The Dirt Track at IMS. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult. Pit Pass upgrades are available for $25 as an optional add-on for General Admission ticketholders.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (4-10 p.m.): Gate 2, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A

PARKING: Paid parking is $10 in Lot 7 (North 40) through Gate 10. Two-day infield parking (pre-paid) is located at N Lot for $40 through Gate 2 or Gate 10.

KANAAN EXHIBITION LAPS: 2004 INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan will turn exhibition laps in the Clauson Marshall Racing Driven2SaveLives midget car between the heat races and Stoops Pursuit Wednesday evening.

Tony Kanaan

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY MUSEUM HOURS (9 a.m.-5 p.m.): The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, located inside Gate 2 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for guests over the age of 62 and $8 for guests ages 6-15. Children 5 and under and Museum members are free. Museum guests must possess an event ticket or credential to the event days and purchase a Museum admission ticket at the Museum to visit.

TK Goes Dirt Trackin’

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Tony Kanaan stepped out of his comfort zone at IMS this afternoon and took some laps in a midget on the dirt track. The exhibition was a prelude to the upcoming BC39 Driven to Save Lives USAC midget race August 3-4.

Strapped in, ready to go

Kanaan had never driven a midget racer before today. His first run was tentative. He got some some advice from Tim Clauson, father of the late Bryan Clauson, before his second 12 lap set. Kanaan was much smoother on his final run.

Tim Clauson

Kanaan’s first set of laps:

His impressions:

“I’m never going to complain about an Indycar being loose again,” he said.

Kanaan shares his experience

He quickly added, “I really want tio drive one of these things (in a race).”

Kanaan acknowledged that his Indycar sponsors might have the final word on whether he can entera midget event.

Kanaan, Ericsson Lead Carb Day; Herta May Need Backup Car

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A delayed and shortened Carb Day practice followed the pattern of the other practice sessions with Chip Ganassi Racing cars in three of the first four spots. Tony Kanaan led the way with a lap of 227.114 mph, followed by Marcus Ericsson in second with a 227,004 mph lap. Scott Dixon was furth and Jimmie Johnson seventh in another Ganassi car.

Carb Day practice began just before 1 pm after the trrack dried from morning rains. The scheduled two hour practice was reduced to 90 minutes.

The session stopped twice for incidents. David Malukas attempted a pass on Santino Ferrucci going into turn 1. They touched wheels, Malukas went high and spun, hitting the wall in much the same way Dalton kellett did last Monday. The hit wasn’t as severe as Kellet’s, but there was still suspension damage.

Herta told NBC reporter Dave Burns, “I feel a little bit of sadness for that racecar.”

With about 30 minutes left, Colton Herta hit the outside wall in turn 1. The car got airborne and landed upside down. Herta was not injured. The car cannot be repaired, and Herta will drive a backup car Sunday. Herta will keep his starting position.

Josef Newgarden completed a session high 62 laps. Ed Carpenter turned the fewest circuits at 32.

The top 14:

I will have more later. Tomorrow the public drivers’ meeting is the only thing on the Speedway calendar.

Dixon Fastest in First Veterans’ Session; Rookie Test Underway

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The open- test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway got underway after a 90-minute delay. The session begun under cool and cloudy conditions. As the two hour time period progressed, temperatures warmed a bit and some sun appeared and the wind got stronger.

Scott Dixon had the quickest lap of 225.622 mph. Dixon ran 20 laps, the fewest of the full time Chip Ganassi Racing team. Jimmie Johnson was sixth fastest in 37 laps, Alex Palou ran seventh in 25 laps, and Marcus Ericsson finished the session 20th, running 31 laps. Tony Kanaan, who is running the 500 only, ran just fourteen laps and ended 21st on the speed chart.

Pato O’Ward on a late session run

The rest of the top 5- Scott Mclaughlin, 223.984; Santino Ferrucci, 223,053; Romain Grosjean, 222.727; and Pato O’Ward, 222.660.

sIx Hondas and four Chevys made up the top ten. Three of the Hondas were from Chip Ganassi Racing.

I talked to Tony Kanaan after practice. He said the conditions were “Okay in the morning, then it got windy and cold. I didn’t do that many laps. It5’s not the same as it’s going to be race week, but it’s good to get a couple things out of the way.”

Tony Kanaan talks to media after the test session

He said “It felt 100% good to be back in the car. I think we can benefit from having five very experienced drivers on the team.”

Kanaan on track

Kanaan plans to run the 500 “As long as they keep bringing me back.” He noted that next year will be his 25th 500.

Currently halfway through the rookie /refresher session, David Malukas is the fastest rookie with a lap at 218.250. Times will vary depending on which phase of the test each driver is in at the moment.

Kanaan Fastest as Speeds Dip; Ferrucci Crashes

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Veterans continue to set the pace in practice for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. Today was 2013 race winner Tony Kanaan’s turn. Conor Daly led throughout much of the afternoon before Kanaan ran the fast lap of the day. Santino Ferrucci had the third quickest speed before crash in in turn 2 with a little less than two hours left in the six hour session.

Kanaan is running an ovals only program for Chip Ganassi Racing. Jimmie Johnson drives the number 48 car on the road and street courses. The 500 is Kanaan’s third race of the year. He will have one more race, at gateway, in August.

In addition to Ferrucci’s crash, there was a minor incident between Scott McLaughlin and Colton Herta, Herta came out of turn four as cars ahead of him slowed. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan team cars had slowed near the finish line for a team photo op. My understanding is that Rahal did not inform Indycar of their plans, and the other teams were caught by surprise. Herta mad slight contact with the wall and McLaughlin’s car. both cars spent some time in the garage for repairs.

Santino Ferrucci about an hour before his crash.

From earlier

https://thepitwindow.blog/2021/05/20/the-never-ending-quest-for-the-fastest-33/

Rahal’s team received a penalty for their actions and the three cars will have to sit out the first 30 minutes of tomorrow’s practice.

Ferrucci was sent IU Methodist for additional imaging on his left leg. Dr. Billows, the chief medical officer of IMS, said Ferrucci was able to put weight on foot. I have just learned that Ferrucci has been released from the hospital but has not been cleared to drive as of yet.

Today’s results:

RACAR NO.DRIVERTEAMENGINEFASTEST LAP (mph)TOTAL LAPS
148Tony KanaanChip Ganassi RacingHonda225.34180
247Conor DalyEd Carpenter RacingChevy225.24590
345Santino FerrucciRahal Letterman Lnigan RacingHonda224.92250
42Josef NewgardenTeam PenskeChevy224.885121
59Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingHonda224.66665
621Rinus VeeKayEd Carpenter RacingChevy224.40996
76Helio CastronevesMeyer Shank RacingHonda224.393114
88Marcus EricssonChip Ganassi RacingHonda224.27389
930Takuma SatoRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda224.23293
1026Colton HertaAndretti AutosportHonda223.944104
1110Alex PalouChip Ganassi RacingHonda223.679125
1228Ryan Hunter-ReayAndretti AutosportHonda223.54881
133Scott McLaughlinTeam PenskeChevy223.49160
145Pato O’WardArrow McLaren SPChevy223.33364
1512Will PowerTeam PenskeChevy223.23082
167Felix RosenqvistArrow McLaren SPChevy223.19985
1760Jack HarveyMeyer Shank RacingHonda223.11691
1898Marco AndrettiAndretti Herta-Haupert w/Marco & Curb-AgajanianHonda222.623123
1918Ed JonesDale Coyne Racing with Vasser SullivanHonda222.60463
2020Ed CarpenterEd Carpenter RacingChevy222.44196
2127Alexander RossiAndretti AutosportHonda222.41294
2286Juan Pablo MontoyaArrow McLaren SPChevy222.38473
2322Simon PagenaudTeam PenskeChevy222.36442
244Dalton KellettAJ Foyt EnterprisesChevy221.92671
2525Stefan WilsonAndretti AutosportH221.804102
2615Graham RahalRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingHonda221.74870
2751Pietro FittipaldiDale Coyne Racing w/Rick Ware RacingHonda221.60271
2824Sage KaramDreyer & Reinbold RacingChevy221.41186
2911Charlie KimballAJ Foyt EnterprisesChevy221.25157
301JR HildebrandAJ Foyt EnterprisesChevy221.17362
3116Simona De SilvestroParetta AutosportChevy220.91181
3229James HinchcliffeAndretti Steinbrenner AutosportHonda220.82297
3359Max ChiltonCarlinChevy220.48961
3414Sebastien BourdaisAJ Foyt EnterprisesChevy219.87681
3575RC EnersonTop Gun RacingChevy217.44450

Sloide bar to right for speeds

Tomorrow the cars receive a an 85-90 horsepower addition for qualifying, which should push the top speeds to 230 mph.

Cashless Concessions

All merchandise shops and food concessions at IMS are cashless in 2021. For someone who does not have credit cards, items can still be purchased.

This machine will convert your cash to a debit card to be used at the track. I’m not sure I the card is honored outside of IMS.

After you’ve maxed out your credit cards at the gift shop, this should be your next stop.

Kanaan Leads Practice

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Indycar photo by Chris Owens

Green Flag at 7:10 pm Eastern. Watch the Kentucky Derby on NBC then immediately switch to NBCSN.

Just like getting on a bike again, Tony Kanaan got into a car for the first time this season today and led the only track time before tonight’s Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. The session was clean although there were a few close calls when cars got a little too high on the traction patch were grip is sketchy.

Tire degradation may play a big role in tonight’s race. There is still a chance of rain. The race is official after 107 laps.

The top 12:

The starting lineup. I’m hearing that this will also be the starting grid for tomorrow’s race.