Tony Kanaan

Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho, known as Tony Kanaan ( born December 31, 1974 in Salvador da Bahia) is a Brazilian race car driver of Lebanese descent.

Kanaan won the 1997 Indy Lights champion title. From 1998 to 2002 he was active in the CART series. It starts in the IndyCar Series, in 2004 he won the championship since 2003. In 2013 he won the Indianapolis 500

  • 3.1 Career stations
  • 3.2 Individual results in the IndyCar Series

Career

Beginnings in motorsport

Canaan began his motorsport career in 1985 in karting, where he was active until 1990. Later in his career, he still participated in some karting and won six times the 500 Milhas de Granja Viana ( 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005). In 1991, he made ​​his Formula racing debut in the Brazilian Formula Ford 1600 and was in his first season sixth in the overall standings. A year later he competed in the Brazilian Formula Chevrolet, finishing in fifth place overall in this series.

In 1993 Canaan to Europe and started half a season in Formula Opel Euro series and classified on the tenth overall. He also took part in a race in the Italian Formula 3 Championship. In 1994 he won the championship of the Italian Formula Alfa Boxer. In 1995, he joined the Italian Formula 3 Championship, finishing with a victory in fifth place overall.

1996 Canaan came back to America and moved to the Indy Lights. In Tasman Motorsports he was teammate Hélio Castro Neves, with whom he has a longstanding friendship. He won two races and was runner-up behind the Canadians David Empringham. He also appeared as a substitute for Alexander Wurz to race two at the ITC. 1997 remained in Canaan Tasman Motorsports in the Indy Lights and won with 156 to 152 points the championship ahead of his teammate Castro- Neves.

CART

1998 remained in Canaan Tasman Motorsports and first appeared in the CART series. With two third places for best results he finished second in his first season in ninth place overall. In 1999 he moved to Forsythe Racing and was teammate of Greg Moore and Patrick Carpentier. With a win at Michigan International Speedway, he finished the season one place behind Moore in eleventh place in the drivers' standings. The season was overshadowed by the fatal accident Moore, who died in an accident in the season finale.

In 2000 he moved to Mo Nunn Racing and Bryan Herta was teammate. Canaan tied not to the successes of the previous season and finished the season 19th overall. 2001 Canaan denied his fourth CART season and entered again for Mo Nunn Racing. He achieved a third place and finished ninth in the overall standings. Canaan was faster than his team -mate Alex Zanardi, who was replaced after a serious accident in which he lost both legs by Casey Mears. 2002 remained in Canaan Mo Nunn Racing, which only began a racing vehicle in this. While Canaan scored this season two third Campsite, at season's end, however, he did not improve his score of the previous year and finished the season in twelfth place overall.

IndyCar Series

After he had already started in the preseason for Mo Nunn Racing for the Indianapolis 500, he moved in 2003 to the IndyCar Series for Andretti Green Racing, where he was teammate of Dan Wheldon. Kanaan won a race and finished at the end of the season in front of his teammates, the eleventh, was fourth overall. 2004 Canaan remained at Andretti Green Racing, which began this season next to him and still Wheldon, Herta and Dario Franchitti for the entire season. Canaan decided three races for themselves and won with 618 to 533 points, the championship title against Wheldon. At the Indianapolis 500, he scored this season as runner- up to his long best finish in this race. He also completed the only driver in his every lap of the race and finished every race except the season opener, the top five drivers.

In the 2005 season Andretti Green Racing stepped in with the same driver line-up as last year. Like last year, he dueled with Wheldon for the title and had to let his teammates go first this time. With 628 to 548 points of Canaan was, who had won two races, runners-up. He was also in this year one of five test drivers of the Formula 1 racing team BAR. 2006 Canaan denied his fourth season in the IndyCar Series for Andretti Green Racing. His biggest rival, Wheldon had to leave the team in the direction of Chip Ganassi Racing and had been replaced by Marco Andretti. Canaan chose another race itself took on the end of the season as the best Andretti - Green- pilot in sixth place overall. In 2007, Canaan with Danica Patrick, who came into the team for Herta, the first female teammate in his career. With five victories no driver decided this season more races for as Canaan, for the league title but it was not enough and he was at the end of the season behind his teammate Franchitti, who won the league title, and Scott Dixon third in the drivers' standings. Moreover Canaan in 2007 took part in a round of the Formula Nippon and started to three races of the American Le Mans Series ( ALMS) in the LMP2 class for Andretti Green Racing. He once won the LMP2 classification.

After the departure of Franchitti, who was replaced by Hideki Mutoh, Canaan was 2008 for the team-internal number-one pilots. He lived up to expectations and was ahead of Patrick was the best driver of his racing team. At the end of the season, he finished with a victory again in third place in the overall standings. In addition, he completed another two races in the ALMS for Andretti Green Motorsport, of which he won one. In 2009, three third places, the best places of Canaan, the second-best Andretti - Green- pilot one place behind Patrick finished sixth overall in the standings. It was not a race in which he won his first IndyCar season. 2010 Canaan denied his eighth season in the IndyCar Series for Andretti Autosport, the former Andretti Green team. In his team Mutoh was replaced by Ryan Hunter -Reay. In the eighth race at the Iowa Speedway, he decided his first race since 2008 for himself, in which he overtook his friend and countryman Castroneves shortly before the end of the race. At the end of the season he was the best pilot Andretti sixth place overall. After the season ended Canaan main sponsor, 7 -Eleven, working with him and Andretti. Canaan contract was thereupon be dissolved.

In December 2010, proclaimed Kanaan and Gil de Ferran, that Canaan should contest the 2011 season for de Ferran Dragon Racing Team de Ferran. In February 2011, Canaan finally announced that he lacked the budget to participate in the season. Finally, a week before the season opener, he signed a contract with KV Racing Technology - Lotus. Already in his first race with the new team achieved a podium in third Canaan placement. In the eighth event in Newton, he finished second in another race on the podium. In Baltimore Canaan came a second time on the third place finish. Previously, he had been involved in the warm-up in a serious accident. On the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Canaan led the race from pole position at starting. After a heavy mass accident in which his former teammate Dan Wheldon was killed, the race was stopped and not be counted. Canaan finished the season as the best pilot of his team from fifth place overall. 2012 graduated from Canaan one more season for KV Racing Technology. The title sponsor Lotus had his commitment before the season ended because the team had opted for Chevrolet engines. His longtime friend Rubens Barrichello became this season one of his teammates. At the Indianapolis 500 Canaan scored his first podium in third - finish of the season. The Oval Races in West Allis and Newton followed with a second and a third place podium more placements. With the ninth overall Canaan was the best driver of his racing team. In addition, Canaan appeared as a guest starter at a race the Stock Car Brasil.

2013 Canaan received at KV Racing Technology Simona de Silvestro with a new teammate. In St. Petersburg, he started with a fourth place in the season. He did not reach Top 10 ranking, the next three races. In the subsequent Indianapolis Canaan went from twelfth on the grid. He worked his way gradually to the front and was in the meantime the lead. When the race was neutralized three laps to go with the yellow flag, Canaan was ahead. He eventually won for the first time in his career this race. In the oval race in Fort Worth, Newton and Fontana he reached third place more podium finishes. He finished the season in eleventh place overall and sat down by 397 to 362 points against de Silvestro. It was Canaan first full season in the IndyCar Series, which he did not finish in the top 10 in the driver standings. In addition, he played two races in the Rolex Sports Car Series. The one in the prototype and GT class.

2014 joined Canaan in the IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Personal

Canaan is a good friend of the Brazilian Formula 1 driver Rubens Barrichello. The two drivers exchanged on 28 May 2006 for the fun of their helmets so that Canaan with Barrichello's helmet the Indianapolis 500 driving while Barrichello with Canaan helmet completed the Grand Prix of Monaco.

He is also a longtime friend of Hélio Castroneves ..

Tony Kanaan is also active as a triathlete and he started in November 2010 in Florida at the Triathlon World Championships on the half Ironman distance ( Ironman 70.3: 1,9 km swimming, 90 km cycling and 21.1 km running). In 2011 he achieved at Ironman Hawaii a total time of 12:52,40 hours and came as 1486th of 1918 participants started the finish.

Statistics

Career stations

  • 2007: ALMS LMP2 ( place 10 )
  • 2008: IndyCar Series ( 3rd place)
  • 2008: ALMS LMP2 ( 14th)
  • 2009: IndyCar Series ( 6th place)
  • 2010: IndyCar Series ( 6th place)
  • 2011: IndyCar Series ( 5th place)
  • 2012: IndyCar Series (No. 9)
  • 2013: IndyCar Series (No. 11)
  • 2013: Rolex Sports Car Series, DP ( No. 39 )
  • 2014: IndyCar Series

Individual results in the IndyCar Series

( Legend)

Salvador (Bahia) Italian Formula Three Championship 1998 CART season 1999 CART season Greg Moore (racing driver) 2000 CART season 2001 CART season 2002 CART season 2003 IndyCar Series season 2004 IndyCar Series season 2006 IndyCar Series season 2007 IndyCar Series season Super Formula 2008 IndyCar Series season 2009 IndyCar Series season 2010 IndyCar Series season 2011 IndyCar Series season 2012 IndyCar Series season 2012 Indianapolis 500 2012 Milwaukee IndyFest 2012 Iowa Corn Indy 250 2013 IndyCar Series season 2013 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 2013 Indianapolis 500 2013 Firestone 550 2013 Iowa Corn Indy 250 2007 Formula Nippon season 2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 2012 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama 2012 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach 2012 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix 2012 Firestone 550 2012 Honda Indy Toronto 2012 Edmonton Indy 2012 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio 2012 GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma 2012 Grand Prix of Baltimore 2012 MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships 2013 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama 2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach 2013 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix 2013 Milwaukee IndyFest 2013 Pocono IndyCar 400 2013 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio 2013 GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore Team Penske Ryan Briscoe Charlie Kimball Will Power Justin Wilson (racing driver) Sebastián Saavedra Panther Racing Josef Newgarden Mike Conway Graham Rahal
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