I had no clue who Tony Kanaan was before covering my first Indianapolis 500 four years ago. I would think the majority of non racing fans may have heard the Brazilian driver's name for the first time after his Indianapolis 500 victory on Sunday. In the racing community though, Kanaan is beloved and his victory may be the most celebrated in recent memory.
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| Courtesy King5.com |
I'm not going to pretend to be some kind of Indy Car aficionado...far from it. But in covering the 500 for a couple of years now and interacting with Kanaan, it seems simple why he is so popular. Kanaan is a really great guy. Seriously, you couldn't find a nicer driver who constantly shares his love of racing and expresses how grateful he is to fans.
The Brazilian has had way too many close but no cigar moments at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He finished second in 2004, third last year and in 2003, fourth in 2011, and fifth in 2006. In 04' he ran one of the better races and even led for 28 laps, but did not get a chance to make a late run when rain stopped the race 20 laps short. In 2007, Kanaan was leading when rain caused a delay, but the race resumed and a crash knocked him out. The whole rain thing is even more interesting when considering weather was expected to be a major factor on Sunday, but the storms stayed away. Kanaan has experienced a couple of other "oh not again moments" and many thought he would never grab the checkered flag at IMS.
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| Courtesy courier-journal.com |
One thing I've always noticed is when Kanaan makes a charge or grabs a lead the cheers are significantly louder. During driver intros he always receives one of the biggest rounds of applause. Every Indy 500, fans want Tony Kanaan to win. They feel like he deserves to win. I remember interviewing Kanaan at the last row party (a banquet of sorts thrown for the last three qualifying drivers). Some veterans might want to get the somewhat embarrassing process over with, but not Kanaan. He was jovial, confident, and per usual respectful to everyone involved.
The veteran racer was not really a popular pick to win The Greatest Spectacle in Racing this year. He started in the 12th spot. As it became evident he would have a chance at victory you could feel the emotion building in the crowd. I was in the KV Racing Technology pit when the final yellow flag went up and when Kanaan finally grabbed the checkered flag. There was so much joy by all those involved. Yes, winning the 500 for anyone is a monumental achievement, but for Kanaan it meant a little bit more.
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| Courtesy cbsnews.com |
The circus surrounding the winning driver is always interesting. This year because of how big a deal the Brazilian's victory was it got out of hand. In victory lane, network cameras from ESPN were blocking the photographers and videographers who had assigned spots on a set of bleachers facing the winning car. Many people missed the money shot of Kanaan drinking the milk. There was yelling, commotion, and even an object thrown. It got ugly. Kanaan was asked to come back after kissing the bricks and replicate the entire process. Of course, he abided and then went through hours of interviews. He answered the same questions over and over with a smile that could not be wiped clean.
In a race that had so many variables; 68 lead changes which was double the record and a threat of weather, the racing Gods finally shined down on Kanaan. Indy Car fans could not be happier.
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