---

CART: Tony Kanaan notes and quotes, post race, Michigan

24 July 2000

Tony Kanaan

#55 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Mercedes-Benz Reynard
Michigan 500 – Race Notes/Quotes – Sunday, July 23, 2000
At Michigan Speedway – Brooklyn, Mich. (2-mile tri-oval)
Round 11 of 20 on the 2000 CART FedEx Championship Series

Tony Kanaan and his #55 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Mercedes-Benz Reynard
retired 69 laps into today’s 250-lap Michigan 500 due to water
temperature problems.  Kanaan started 18th and worked himself into the
top 10 shortly after the first round of scheduled pit stops on Lap 41.
Concerned with high water temperatures, the team brought Kanaan in for
an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 56 to search for possible clogs to the
air intakes leading to the radiators.  Three laps later, on Lap 59,
Kanaan pitted again as the crew attempted to pressurize the water
system.  On Lap 69, the car was retired.

The next stop on the 20-race CART FedEx Championship Series tour is next
weekend (July 28-30) for Round 12 at Chicago.

TONY KANAAN

 “I was having a really good time out there.  I had a good race car and
I was moving my way up in the order pretty steadily.  But once I got
into the top 10, our water temperature got a little high and we just
couldn’t seem to fix the problem.  We didn’t want to risk anything
happening out there on the track, so we retired the car.  It’s the safe
thing to do ... count your losses and move on.  Otherwise, it’s great to
be back.  Ten days ago, I couldn’t drive at all.  A week ago, I was
driving a go-kart.  And today, I’m here defending my championship in the
Michigan 500.  It’s unfortunate that the day had to end the way it did.
I had a dream last night that I was going to be there at the end.  But
it didn’t turn out that way.  Let’s go to Chicago!”