Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Tony Kanaan got to drive his hero Ayrton Senna’s world championship-winning 1991 McLaren MP4/6 at Sonoma Raceway during the 2023 edition of the Velocity Invitational vintage event and shared his thoughts about the run with RACER’s Marshall Pruett …
Tony Kanaan got to drive his hero Ayrton Senna’s world championship-winning 1991 McLaren MP4/6 at Sonoma Raceway during the 2023 edition of the Velocity Invitational vintage event and shared his thoughts about the run with RACER’s Marshall Pruett after using all of the 3.5-liter V12 Honda engine.
Or click HERE to watch on YouTube.
Tony Kanaan got to see his favorite car, the 1991 McLaren MP4/6 driven to a world championship by his friend and hero Ayrton Senna, for the first time up close at Sonoma Raceway for the 2023 edition of the Velocity Invitational vintage event, and …
Tony Kanaan got to see his favorite car, the 1991 McLaren MP4/6 driven to a world championship by his friend and hero Ayrton Senna, for the first time up close at Sonoma Raceway for the 2023 edition of the Velocity Invitational vintage event, and shares his memories and emotions after viewing the legend’s final F1 title-winner.
Or click HERE to watch on YouTube.
Purdue University has entered a partnership with the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series to introduce its new urban campus in Indianapolis. Coming off the approval to dissolve IUPUI and launch Purdue University in Indianapolis in 2024, with …
Purdue University has entered a partnership with the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series to introduce its new urban campus in Indianapolis.
Coming off the approval to dissolve IUPUI and launch Purdue University in Indianapolis in 2024, with multiple locations throughout the city and degrees from Purdue University West Lafayette, the iconic Boilermaker gold and black will adorn the race car shared by Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan in this season’s SRX series, which launches Thursday, July 13 and will air weekly on Thursday nights thereafter through Aug. 17, with all races airing live on ESPN.
Purdue has helped launch racing careers for many of its students and graduates with its unique motorsports engineering program. Created in 2008, it is the only accredited undergraduate program in the U.S. and one of three in the world that awards degrees with a concentration in motorsports. Purdue’s motorsports history also extends across its West Lafayette campus, where College of Engineering graduates Matt Kuebel and Mike Koenigs became Indianapolis 500 winners this past May as race engineers for Josef Newgarden and Team Penske, while fellow alumna and Chip Ganassi Racing engineer Angela Ashmore made history as the first female crew member to win the 500 in 2022 with Marcus Ericsson.
“I am very excited to be back at SRX and having Purdue University in Indianapolis on the car and sharing it with my brother T.K. is just perfect,” said Castroneves.
“This is my third year in SRX and I couldn’t be more excited to share the car with my brother Helio and now being sponsored by Purdue University in Indianapolis,” Kanaan said. “As an Indy resident, it’s a big deal. Purdue has long been a part of the Indianapolis 500, so I’m looking forward to carrying their livery during the SRX season.”
Ethan Braden, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Purdue University and Purdue Global, said the university’s deep ties to motorsports and commitment to expanding the university’s academic and research excellence with the launch of Purdue University in Indianapolis makes the SRX partnership with Indy icons Kanaan and Castroneves a natural fit.
“Purdue University is about the persistent pursuit of innovation, and our new urban campus in Indianapolis is one of our next great examples,” Braden said. “We are thrilled to introduce Purdue University in Indianapolis to millions of viewers on ESPN by partnering with the SRX Series. And we couldn’t team up with better symbols of excellence and determination than Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan. Boilermakers worldwide will be cheering them on as they lead Purdue University’s charge on some of America’s most iconic racetracks and into Indianapolis.”
Player Management International, and Doug Barnette, was the agency of record on the deal.
A month on from his final NTT IndyCar Series race with Arrow McLaren at the Indy 500, the popular Brazilian has become a permanent fixture at the team in the capacity of Special Advisor. The 2004 series champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner will …
A month on from his final NTT IndyCar Series race with Arrow McLaren at the Indy 500, the popular Brazilian has become a permanent fixture at the team in the capacity of Special Advisor.
The 2004 series champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner will travel with the team to races and tests, serving as a driver mentor while also working with the team’s commercial partnerships and business development.
“I’m thrilled to have Tony join Arrow McLaren and our McLaren Racing family in a more formalized capacity following his brilliant IndyCar career,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown. “He’s a racer, and he knows how to win. Having him around our team and mentoring our drivers can only make us stronger contenders in the NTT IndyCar Series championship.”
Kanaan is a 17-time race winner with 389 IndyCar starts to his credit, and has also long been recognized by for his value in sponsorship development. Arrow McLaren Racing Director Gavin Ward said all that experience will be a huge asset to the team as it works to cement its place among IndyCar’s top tier.
“Tony’s distinct skillset will help the team connect how we go racing to how we can make the most of our partnerships,” he said. “As a championship driver, he does both incredibly well – delivering on track and locking in committed partnerships. He brings a champion mindset to what we’re doing – and that’s racing to win championships while having fun doing it. Having him on the team as a multifaceted resource in his advisor role is a big win for Arrow McLaren.”
In addition to his IndyCar responsibilities, Kanaan will also be involved in McLaren Racing’s heritage program.
“I had said that I wasn’t going to leave racing or the NTT IndyCar Series, so I’m very excited to join the Arrow McLaren team in this role,” Kanaan said.
“Zak and Gavin have a great vision for where this team is headed and what we can accomplish, so I look forward to helping us get there and making the team and the series even better.
“This team works hard and has a lot of fun. That’s what racing is about, and it’s why I love being part of the team.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown hopes Tony Kanaan’s final Indianapolis 500, spent in an Arrow McLaren Chevy, isn’t the Brazilian’s first and last time as an employee of the Indiana-based outfit. As Chip Ganassi Racing has Dario Franchitti and Team …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown hopes Tony Kanaan’s final Indianapolis 500, spent in an Arrow McLaren Chevy, isn’t the Brazilian’s first and last time as an employee of the Indiana-based outfit.
As Chip Ganassi Racing has Dario Franchitti and Team Penske has Rick Mears in advisory roles where the experience gained during their numerous IndyCar championships and Indy 500 wins is put to use to benefit their respective organizations, Brown sees Kanaan — a champion and Indy winner as well — as a perfect component to accelerate Arrow McLaren’s rise.
“I’ve known Tony a long time, and he is a champion on and off the track,” Brown told RACER. “We’re definitely exploring what type of ongoing role he could have in contributing to our team’s success. Nothing’s definitive yet, but certainly the intention is, while that may have been his last Indy 500, it wasn’t his last involvement with Arrow McLaren. And I think he very much feels the same.”
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Brown, team director Gavin Ward, and Kanaan are due to discuss the various ways the Indianapolis-based ace might enrich a team that already has former IndyCar front-runner Robert Wickens working in a advisory role.
“We don’t know yet what it might be, but if we were to do something, what are the areas that we think he can add value? What are the areas he thinks he can add value,” Brown continued. “What we agreed was to get through the month of May, because I very much wanted to just have him be a racing car driver for the month of May, and now that that May is behind us, that’s a conversation Gavin, me, and Tony will start to pick up.
“I think Dario is a big contributor to his race team’s success because when you get a champion like that, there’s so many different areas they can contribute with their experience. So whether it’s like [Mercedes F1 had with the late] Niki Lauda, Rick Mears at Penske, Gil de Ferran in our Formula 1 team, I’m a believer that world champion drivers with a lot of experience can help teams in a variety of ways, given their experience where they know what great looks like and they know what bad looks like. I think that’s where champion drivers can add a lot of value to a racing team.”
For Kanaan, who grew up idolizing three-time F1 world champion Ayrton Senna, the deep collection of his late countryman’s McLaren F1 cars which are used in various demonstration runs each year would be a natural draw if he is signed to an ongoing contract with the team. Brown knows any contract with Kanaan will come with seat time in the late legend’s vintage open-wheelers.
“I’ve found a commonality behind all my drivers in that,” Brown said with a laugh. “They all want to drive the toys…and if any of them think I haven’t figured it out, they don’t know me…”
“Last year, we were like $1 short, and this year, we had $1 in our pocket; we were cruising,” McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown told RACER after his four-car Indy 500 program flexed its muscles and led 76 of 200 laps before its leading contenders Pato …
“Last year, we were like $1 short, and this year, we had $1 in our pocket; we were cruising,” McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown told RACER after his four-car Indy 500 program flexed its muscles and led 76 of 200 laps before its leading contenders Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist crashed on their own.
Arrow McLaren’s top performer on the day was a visibly frustrated Alexander Rossi, who placed fifth, and behind him, in his Indy 500 farewell, Tony Kanaan had an average day, crossing the finish line in 15th. Minus Rosenqvist’s crash on lap 183 and O’Ward’s overambitious attempt to take the lead from Marcus Ericsson on lap 192, Brown and the Chevy-powered team might have had a say in who won the race.
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“We had a fuel issue on Pato’s car that ended up not becoming an issue at the end, but I think we had those two cars, and Rossi there or thereabouts, but we didn’t get it done,” Brown added. “But I think the upside is we had the cars to win. We were flying and they were having fun. It was like, ‘You lead for a few laps, then you lead for a few laps.’
“They were so hooked up. The results are disappointing, but other than that, what an awesome Indy 500. We were fast and had two cars that were on for the win, and Rossi was right there too.
Brown applauded his team for their year-to-year improvement, led by the engineering-first structure overseen by Gavin Ward.
“Couldn’t be happier,” he said. “We are a threat to win every weekend with multiple cars that are threatening for the championship. It wasn’t a good points day for us, but I couldn’t be happier. I think Gavin and the whole team have stepped up. There were definitely a better team than we were last year.”
Tony Kanaan, for whom today’s Indianapolis 500 was the 390th and final race in his IndyCar career, admits he shed a tear when his longtime rival Helio Castroneves saluted him on the slowdown lap. The 2013 Indy 500 winner whose Arrow McLaren …
Tony Kanaan, for whom today’s Indianapolis 500 was the 390th and final race in his IndyCar career, admits he shed a tear when his longtime rival Helio Castroneves saluted him on the slowdown lap.
The 2013 Indy 500 winner whose Arrow McLaren Chevrolet started the race from ninth, finished 16th after a last-lap battle with four-time winner Castroneves. Afterward, Kanaan described himself as “grateful, relieved, happy, sad at the same time. There are so many emotions right now.”
He went on: “I told the guys before we started it was either going to be a win, or anything apart from the win we were going to celebrate regardless.
“I think I would do a disgrace to almost 400,000 people that were there, that made me feel the way they did, to say I’m sad. I had a laugh.
“Helio and I battling for 15th and 16th on the last lap like we’re going for the lead! It was like, who’s playing pranks with us? We went side by side on the backstretch after the checker and we saluted with each other, and I just told him actually I dropped a tear because of that, and he said, ‘I did, too…’
“We started it in ’87, and the last lap of the race we’re actually battling – my last race in IndyCar and we’re battling like it was for the lead. But I wouldn’t have it any different; neither to him.”
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He later added: “We were battling on the last lap, the last restart. We went side-by-side twice. A lot of memories came to my mind, and I even said how ironic it is that we started it together and I get to battle him on the last lap of my last race.
“It’s pretty neat. It’s a pretty cool story. He’s a great friend; my reference — a guy that I love and hate a lot throughout my career! And like he just told me, ‘Who am I going to look (at) on the time sheet when I come into the pits now?’ Because we always said that it didn’t matter if I was 22nd and he was 23rd, my day was OK, and vice versa.
“Yeah, it was pretty cool.”
Kanaan said that he was relieved that his 22nd and final Indy 500 was run in front of the race’s biggest crowd since 2016, rather than the empty grandstands seen in 2020 – due to the COVID-19 pandemic – in what was supposed to be his final year.
“One thing is for certain — I think I sat here three years ago and I said I’m not retiring because I don’t want to race in (front of) an empty stand,” he said. “What (the fans) did for me today puts an end of me coming back here. Because that experience right there, I don’t think I will have it ever again.
“In a way, finishing 16th will take everybody’s idea out – ‘Oh, you finished third, you should do it again.’ Kyle Larson is driving that car next year. Hopefully I will be around.”
Marcus Ericsson’s disappointment at his narrow defeat to Josef Newgarden in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 was compounded by what he believes was a wrong call from race control to throw a late red flag and set up a single-lap sprint to the finish to …
Marcus Ericsson’s disappointment at his narrow defeat to Josef Newgarden in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 was compounded by what he believes was a wrong call from race control to throw a late red flag and set up a single-lap sprint to the finish to avoid the race ending under caution.
Ericsson took the lead on the previous restart with five laps to go, only for another crash towards the rear of the field to force the race to be halted again. Rather than continuing to keep the field circulating under yellow, race control stopped the race during the clean-up. The cars were sent out again on lap 198 for a lap behind the pace car before going green for the final lap, whereupon Newgarden got a run on Ericsson at the exit of Turn 2 and made what proved to be a winning pass for the lead.
“I think it was a tough way to end the race,” said the 2022 Indy 500 winner. “I don’t really agree with how we did that. I don’t think that was a fair way to end the race.
“There wasn’t enough laps to go to do what we did. I don’t think it’s safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is still trying to get out on track when we go green. I don’t think it’s a fair way to end the race. I don’t think it’s a right way to end the race. So I can’t agree with that.
“I don’t think it was enough laps to go when the yellow came, so I think it should have finished under yellow.”
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Ericsson said he does not plan to address the finish with the series, but conceded that it will take some time to make peace with a day where he felt he and his team did a perfect job of everything that was in their control, only to be denied by something that was out of their hands.
“I feel disappointed because I think we did everything right,” he said. “When that red came so late, I thought I was a bit too late, so I thought when the yellow came out with three laps to go, whatever, in my world we don’t restart that race.
“But it is what it is. You have to play with the cards you’re given, and I think we nailed it today. We did everything right. I did everything right. You can’t do more than that.
“Josef is a worthy champion, and I congratulate him on that. But it’s a bit tough to accept how it ended. That’s my feeling. But I’m very proud of our efforts and our performance today.”
However, Tony Kanaan — who finished 16th in his IndyCar swan song — believed race control’s decision to chase a green flag finish was the right one, and pointed to the criticism that came in the wake of his own Indy 500 win under yellows in 2013.
“We need to think about the show,” he said. “The biggest complaint we had every year was we shouldn’t finish a race under the yellow. That’s going to hurt someone. Actually, 32 guys are pissed right now, and one guy is happy. That’s the reality.
“Could have they called it earlier? Yes. Could have, should have, would have, but we ended under green, and that’s what the fans kept asking us every time.
“I won under yellow, and everybody hated it at some point. Easy for me to say, because I’m not in [Ericsson’s] shoes. I mean, look at this place. Do we really want to finish under yellow with all those people out there? For me, it was the right call.”
Santino Ferrucci, who finished third, was in step with the Brazilian veteran.
“I don’t mind what IndyCar did,” he said. “It’s just I think Marcus has a slightly different opinion, which is totally cool because he finished second. Sitting there third is tough because there is nothing you can do other than watch. That’s where the bittersweet is.”
Ahead of his final Indy 500, Arrow McLaren’s Tony Kanaan takes a stroll down pit lane with RACER’s Marshall Pruett to discuss his amazing life and career. Presented by: RACER’s IndyCar Trackside Report is presented by Skip Barber Racing School. With …
Ahead of his final Indy 500, Arrow McLaren’s Tony Kanaan takes a stroll down pit lane with RACER’s Marshall Pruett to discuss his amazing life and career.
Tony Kanaan’s kinda-sorta-maybe-probably last run at the Indianapolis 500 will commence with his No. 66 Arrow McLaren positioned on the third row in P9. Although the 2013 race winner attacked the four laps and 10 miles with his customary aggression …
Tony Kanaan’s kinda-sorta-maybe-probably last run at the Indianapolis 500 will commence with his No. 66 Arrow McLaren positioned on the third row in P9.
Although the 2013 race winner attacked the four laps and 10 miles with his customary aggression and received the loudest cheers from the healthy crowd in attendance for Pole Day, the Brazilian dealt with a dancing car that lacked the last bit of stability to string together the kind of consistent speed required to transfer into the Fast Six.
“It’s hot, sticky, and very slippery,” he said after making his lone qualifying attempt in Sunday’s Fast 12 session. “We knew the track temp went up quite a bit.”
First to run among his four Arrow McLaren teammates, Kanaan was able to download what he learned to Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, and Felix Rosenqvist, all of whom made the Fast Six and a chance to earn pole.
“We took a swing at it,” he said of qualifying for his 22nd Indy 500. “It didn’t work, so we had the time to tell our teammates what to do.”
