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CART: Tony Kanaan glad to be back in Elkhart Lake

18 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

"Im glad to be at Road America this weekend, and Im especially glad to get away from what turned out to be unlucky weekend #13 (last weeks Round 13, on Sunday, Aug. 13, at Mid-Ohio, where Kanaan finished 13th). Fourteen sounds a lot better, if you ask me! Seriously, this track asks a lot of the same things out of your car as Mid-Ohio, but even more so. It has a mix of tight corners and fast corners, but the straights are even longer. Horsepower is going to be even more of a factor here this weekend, on top of the usual need to have a well-balanced car. We had a good race car last weekend, but just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think we had a sure top-10 finish. Were one race further along, now. Each weekend we learn something, and its a good thing were right back at it this week on another beautiful road course. This is truly one of my favorite tracks."--Tony Kanaan

NOTES

--This is the 25-year-old Kanaans third visit to Road America in a Champ Car. He was fourth here his Rookie of the Year season in 1998, and followed up with a sixth-place effort last year, driving for Forsythe Championship Racing (formerly Tasman Motorsports).

--Kanaan continues his recovery from a qualifying accident at Detroit June 17, in which he broke his left forearm and four ribs on his left side. The arm injury required surgery. Two metal plates and 14 screws were inserted. They will remain there for the next year-and-a-half.

--Last weekend at Mid-Ohio was Kanaans first road course race since the accident. His previous two runs were on the ovals at Michigan and Chicago in July. He was back in his Champ Car 33 days after his surgery.

--At Mid-Ohio last weekend, Kanaan was running 11th on Lap 69 when he inadvertently collided with the spinning car of Paul Tracy ahead of him. He fought back to finish 13th.

--In nine races with the first-year Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing team, Kanaan has three top-10 finishes, and four top-10 qualifying efforts, including a best of third on the starting grid at Chicago three weekends ago.

--Team owner Morris Nunn, was technical at Target/Chip Ganassi Racing during the last four CART championship seasons (Jimmy Vasser in 1996, Alex Zanardi in 1997 and 1998, and Juan Montoya in 1999). He won here with Zanardi in 1997, and started on the pole here with Zanardi in 1996.

Text provided by Laz Denes

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