CART: Tony Kanaan Pre Race Notes and Quotes, Chicago
27 July 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
TONY KANAAN
"As I said all last weekend at Michigan, its great to be back. Physically, I felt great all weekend long, and its going to be that much better this weekend at Chicago. Im back in Miami full-time again, which is great. But one thing I brought with me from Indy (where Kanaan rehabilitated for four weeks under the watchful eye of CART orthopedic surgeon Dr. Terry Trammell) was my go-kart. I think Dr. Trammell created a monster because go-karting is now going to be a big part of my training. It made my comeback at Michigan go that much smoother. The Chicago track is a lot tighter, but I will have had another week to heal my injuries. I enjoyed the track and the event very much last year. They sure do know how to put on a show. I hope we got all of the gremlins out of our system with regard to the race car. Those things happen. We showed we can do well on the small ovals. If you look back at Nazareth and Milwaukee, those were two of the better weekends weve had so far. This Hollywood/Mo Nunn team is due for a breakthrough, and I can hardly think of a better place to do that than Chicago!"
NOTES
--Kanaan is back for his second event since being sidelined for three races with a broken left forearm and four cracked ribs in a June 17th qualifying accident at Detroit. In a weekend filled with mechanical maladies, Kanaan qualified 18th and did not finish the Michigan 500 due to water temperature problems, placing 24th.
--Kanaan underwent surgery for his broken left forearm at Detroit. Two metal plates and 14 screws were used to repair the injury. They will be removed at a later date.
--In last years inaugural race here at Chicago Motor Speedway, Kanaan started 15th and finished 11th for Forsythe Championship Group.
--In 46 career Champ Car starts, Kanaan, the 1998 series Rookie of the Year, has one win (Michigan in 1999), one pole (Long Beach in 1999), and three podium finishes in all. (Laguna Seca and Houston in 1998 to go with last years Michigan event). He also started on the front row at Laguna Seca in 1999.
--Team owner Morris Nunn was technical director at Target/Chip Ganassi Racing during the last four CART FedEx Championship Series championships Juan Montoya last year, Alex Zanardi in 1998 and 1999, and Jimmy Vasser in 1996. He won here last year with Montoya, coming from the 10th spot on the starting grid.
--Nunn also scored a series championship with Emerson Fittipaldi while the two were at Patrick Racing in 1989.
Text provided by Laz Denes
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