Tony Kanaan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Kanaan
Kanaan at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2022
Nationality	Brazilian
Born	Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho (1974-12-31) 31 December 1974 (age 50) Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
IndyCar Series career
296 races run over 23 years
Team(s)	No. 66 (Arrow McLaren)
2022 position	26th
Best finish	1st (2004)
First race	2002 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	2023 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win	2003 Purex Dial Indy 200 (Phoenix)
Last win	2014 MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships (Fontana)
Wins Podiums Poles 16 73 11
Champ Car career
93 races run over 5 years
Years active	1998–2002
Team(s)	Tasman Motorsports (1998) Forsythe Racing (1999) Mo Nunn Racing (2000–2002)
Best finish	9th (1998, 2001)
First race	1998 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead)
Last race	2002 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante (Mexico City)
First win	1999 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota (Michigan)
Wins Podiums Poles 1 6 4
Championship titles
1994 1997 1999 2004 2013 2015	Formula Europa Boxer champion Indy Lights Series champion U.S. 500 winner IndyCar Series champion Indianapolis 500 winner Rolex 24 at Daytona overall winner
Awards
1998 2007 2013	CART Championship Series Rookie of the Year Scott Brayton Award IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver

Antoine Rizkallah "Tony" Kanaan Filho (born 31 December 1974), often called "TK", is a famous Brazilian racing driver. He is currently the team boss for Arrow McLaren. Tony is well known for racing in two big series: Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) from 1998 to 2002, and the IndyCar Series from 2002 to 2023. He won the 2004 IndyCar Series championship, which is a huge achievement in racing!

Tony Kanaan's Racing Journey

Early Days in Formula Racing

Starting with Formula Europa Boxer

Tony Kanaan began his racing career in 1994 in a series called Formula Europa Boxer. He drove for a team named Cram Competition. Tony was very good, winning 5 races and becoming the series champion that year!

Racing in Italian Formula Three

In 1995, Tony moved on to Italian Formula Three. He drove a Dallara 395 car. Tony won one race and finished on the podium (top three) 9 times. He ended up in 5th place overall.

Indy Lights Series Success

Tony then joined the Indy Lights series in 1996 and continued in 1997. He raced for Tasman Motorsports. This series helped him get ready for bigger races.

Racing in CART (Champ Car)

Tony Kanaan started racing in the CART series in 1998 with Tasman Motorsports. He finished his first season in 9th place and won the Rookie of the Year award, which is given to the best new driver.

In 1999, Tony joined Forsythe Racing. He won his first "pole position" (starting first in a race) at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also won the U.S. 500 race.

Tony moved to Mo Nunn Racing in 2000. He had some good finishes, coming in eighth place three times. He stayed with Mo Nunn Racing for the 2001 season and got his first podium finish since his big win in 1999. He also started from pole position at the Target Grand Prix in Chicago.

In 2002, Tony continued with Mo Nunn Racing. He started in second place at the Bridgestone Potenza 500. Later that year, he switched to a different car, the Lola B02/00. He earned two more pole positions and finished third in two races.

IndyCar Series Adventures

First Steps in IndyCar

In 2002, Tony Kanaan also raced in one IndyCar Series race, the Indianapolis 500. He started in 5th place, which was the best for a rookie (first-time driver) that year. He even led for 23 laps, but unfortunately, he crashed and finished 28th.

Becoming an IndyCar Champion

In 2003, Tony joined the IndyCar Series full-time with Andretti Green Racing. He won his first IndyCar race, the Purex Dial Indy 200, leading for 79 laps! He also finished third in the Indianapolis 500.

The car Kanaan used to win the 2004 championship at the Honda Collection Hall

The year 2004 was amazing for Tony. He drove the No. 11 7-Eleven car for Andretti Green Racing. He won the Copper World Indy 200, the Bombardier 500, and the Firestone Indy 200. Tony completed every single lap of every race that season! He earned 618 points, which made him the 2004 IndyCar Series champion!

Continuing Success in IndyCar

Tony continued to race with Andretti Green Racing in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, he won the ABC Supply Company A. J. Foyt 225 race. He also started a charity with his friend and fellow racer, Rubens Barrichello, to help others. Tony finished 6th in points in 2006.

Kanaan practicing for the 2007 Indianapolis 500

Kanaan talking with his friend and teammate Dario Franchitti during qualifying for the 2007 Indianapolis 500

Kanaan congratulating teammate and friend Dario Franchitti after he won the 2007 Indianapolis 500

Kanaan's car on pit lane at an event during the 2007 season

The 2007 season was Tony's best year for winning races, with 5 victories! He won the Indy Japan 300, the ABC Supply Company A. J. Foyt 225, the Firestone Indy 400, the Meijer Indy 300, and the Detroit Indy Grand Prix. He also received the Scott Brayton Award at the Indianapolis 500 for his racing spirit. Even with all these wins, he finished 3rd in the championship points.

In 2008 and 2009, Tony continued to race well for Andretti Green Racing, finishing 3rd and 6th in points. In 2010, he left Andretti after 8 years, having won 14 races and one championship with them.

Winning the Indianapolis 500

Tony then joined KV Racing Technology. In 2011, he was in a big crash but thankfully wasn't seriously hurt and didn't miss any races. He finished 5th in points that year.

In 2012, Tony finished second in the oval track standings.

Kanaan (left) at Texas in 2019

The year 2013 was another highlight for Tony. At the Indianapolis 500, he started 12th but fought his way to the front. On lap 197, he took the lead and won the race! It was a record-breaking race with 68 lead changes. Tony said, "I was known for not winning and now I am known for winning." He also won the series' Most Popular Driver award.

Kanaan in the driver's seat of the No. 10 NTT Data IndyCar

Kanaan during the 2023 Indianapolis 500, his final IndyCar Series race

From 2014 to 2017, Tony raced for Chip Ganassi Racing. He won another race in 2014 at Fontana and finished 7th in points. In 2018, he moved to A. J. Foyt Racing. He continued to race part-time in the IndyCar Series until 2023, with his final race being the 2023 Indianapolis 500.

Sports Car Racing

Tony Kanaan has also raced in different types of sports car events.

24 Hours of Daytona

He competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona race several times. In 1998, he finished 3rd in his class. In 2015, Tony and his team won the entire race, which was a huge victory!

Other Sports Car Races

Tony also raced in the American Le Mans Series in 2007 and 2008, winning a class race in 2007. He competed in the Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series and the Tudor United SportsCar Championship.

Racing in Le Mans

Tony made his first appearance at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2017, driving a Ford GT. He returned in 2018.

Other Racing Series

Tony has also raced in Formula Nippon in Japan and Stock Car Brasil in Brazil. In 2021, he joined the Superstar Racing Experience, an all-star stock car racing series.

Tony Kanaan's Life Outside Racing

Tony Kanaan has family roots in Lebanon. He was part of a group of close friends who were also CART drivers, sometimes called the "brat pack." This group included Dario Franchitti, Max Papis, and Greg Moore.

Tony is also a triathlete, which means he competes in swimming, biking, and running events. He believes that triathlon training helps him stay in great shape for racing. He has even completed an Ironman World Championship race! Tony is married and has four children.

Tony Kanaan in Movies and TV

Tony Kanaan has appeared in some movies and TV shows.

• In 2001, he was in the movie Driven, playing himself as a racing driver.
• The first episode of the TV show IndyCar 36 was all about Tony's racing weekend in 2012.
• He also appeared on the game show Celebrity Family Feud with other drivers.

Tony Kanaan's Racing Records

IndyCar Series Summary

Here's a quick look at Tony Kanaan's main achievements in the IndyCar Series:

Indianapolis 500 Results

Tony Kanaan has raced in the famous Indianapolis 500 many times. Here are his results:

• Kanaan qualified 32nd in a backup car but decided to switch back to his primary car for the race. This forced him to start from the 33rd position on the grid.

24 Hours of Daytona Results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1998	Tom Gloy Racing	Mike Borkowski Robbie Buhl	Ford Mustang Cobra	GT1	624	11th	3rd
2013	Dener Motorsport	Rubens Barrichello Nonô Figueiredo Felipe Giaffone Ricardo Maurício	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup	GT	352	46th	28th
2014	Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates	Scott Dixon Kyle Larson Marino Franchitti	Riley Mk. XXVI-Ford	P	667	15th	8th
2015	Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates	Scott Dixon Kyle Larson Jamie McMurray	Riley Mk. XXVI-Ford	P	740	1st	1st
2016	Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates	Scott Dixon Kyle Larson Jamie McMurray	Riley Mk. XXVI-Ford	P	708	13th	7th
2017	Ford Chip Ganassi Racing	Harry Tincknell Andy Priaulx	Ford GT	GTLM	652	9th	5th

Images for kids

• 

  Kanaan competing in the 2007 Formula Nippon race at the Suzuka Circuit.

• 

  Kanaan's car in Stock Car Brasil in 2023

See also

In Spanish: Tony Kanaan para niños