“Tony did seem to have a better car. He could run everywhere but more consistent.”
–South Florida-resident Helio Castroneves, who finished second to fellow Brazilian-turned-Miamian Tony Kanaan in today’s IndyCar race
South Florida-resident Tony Kanaan won his first IndyCar race since June 2008 today at Iowa, overtaking fellow South Florida-resident Helio Castroneves with 10 laps remaining on the .875-mile track. A third South Florida resident, E.J. Viso, finished an IndyCar Series-career-high third.
It was Race 8 of 17 en route to IndyCar’s Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 1-2).
The win was Kanaan’s first of the season and the 14th of his IZOD IndyCar Series career. “I had a great car,” said the driver of the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven. “I have thank my teammates: Marco [Andretti] and Ryan [Hunter-Reay] came over after qualifying [15th when] I was very disappointed. I made a mistake during qualifying, and I was pretty down. They talked to me for 45 minutes and cheered me up. Marco gave me a little bit of his setup, and Ryan actually helped me with the setup, putting it together for today. It was a great job as a team, and it feels good.”
Said Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Team Penske: “When I needed it the most, unfortunately it wasn’t there….I should be happy, but with 10 laps to go it slipped right through my hands. We had great pit stops. The team did an incredible job….It’s a shame for us today, but for the Championship [Oct. 2 in Miami], it is very good.”
Said Viso, driver of the No. 8 PDVSA-Jet Aviation-KV Racing Technology: “It’s been a very tough year for the team. We all knew that we could get there. We have some very good people on the team and good drivers. We finished in the position we deserved to have. I hope this is the start of good things to come for the rest of the season.”
Next up for Kanaan, Castroneves, Viso and all of IndyCar’s elite is a July 4th showdown at Watkins Glen —Race 9 of 17 en route to IndyCar’s Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway Oct. 1-2.