CART: Tony Kanaan Notes and Quotes, Monterrey Post Race

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

#55 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Honda-Reynard
Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix – Race Notes/Quotes – Sunday, March. 11
Parque Fundidora – Monterrey, Mexico – 2.1-Mile Road Course
Round 1 of 21 on the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series

Tony Kanaan brought home the #55 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Honda-Reynard in seventh place in today’s CART FedEx Championship Series season-opening Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey. It was the best finish for Mo Nunn Racing in the first race of only its second season, and the seventh top-10 finish for Kanaan, who started 12th on the grid today. He ran a clean race, pitting during an early caution on Lap 9 of the 78 laps completed, and comfortably working his way into the top 10 for the duration of the event. He recorded the second-fastest lap of the race at 75.487 seconds, surpassed only by Dario Franchitti’s 75.408.

Cristiano da Matta scored the victory today, accompanied on the podium by defending series champion Gil de Ferran and Paul Tracy. Kanaan’s new teammate, two-time series champion Alex Zanardi, had a rough day, starting 22nd and seeing his day end on Lap 40 after tangling with another car and damaging the front suspension.

The series takes a month off before returning for Round 2 on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., on April 8.

TONY KANAAN

“It seemed like a very long day out there. It takes a lot of work to keep your nose clean on a track as slippery as this one. I had a car to be very competitive today. I had a very competitive car all weekend. We were in the top five since we got here. Unfortunately, starting back in the order cost us a much better finish. But that’s the way it goes. There are those people who make the rules, and I just follow the rules. Now, we go on to Long Beach and I’m going to be in the fast (qualifying) group for sure, and no one can take that away from me. That would have made all the difference in the world here this weekend. But that’s okay. I’m very pleased with the way the race played out, otherwise. I thought things were going to be a lot worse, actually. This was the best finish for Mo Nunn Racing so far, and I’m proud to give it to Mo. But it’s going to get much better after this.”

Text Provided By Laz Denes

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