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CART: Tony Kanaan Qualifying Notes and Quotes, Chicago

30 July 2000

Tony Kanaan posted his best qualifying effort of the season for
first-year Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing today, driving his #55 Hollywood/Mo
Nunn Racing Mercedes-Benz Reynard to third on the starting grid for
Sunday’s Target Grand Prix of Chicago.  Kanaan recorded a fast lap of
22.137 seconds (an average of 167.340 mph) around the 1-mile Chicago
Motor Speedway oval.  He missed a front-row starting spot by just four
one-thousandths of a second as Helio Castroneves grabbed the
outside-front-row position in 22.133 seconds (167.370 mph).  Juan
Montoya will start on the pole after a fast time of 22.107 seconds
(167.567 mph).  The top 22 cars in the field qualified within one second
of each other.

Race time Sunday is 3 p.m. CDT and it will be aired live on ABC-TV.

TONY KANAAN

“We knew we had a good car, but we definitely got the most out of it to
get the result that we did.  I figured we had a top-five car.  When I
got a 22.4 on the first lap, I decided I would go for it on the second
lap even though Morris (Nunn) told me to be happy with a top-six spot.
So when I finished the second lap, I told him that I went for it, but
that I’m still here in one piece, and he was very, very happy.  This is
great for Hollywood, and for Mercedes, and the whole team.  Everyone’s
been working very hard and days like today really are the payoff.  I was
really concentrating today on doing a good job because I knew I had a
good car.  It feels great to go fast.  Now we must change into race mode
and work on getting the most out of the car for Sunday.  I’m going to
sleep very well tonight.”