Luminox 1140 Series User Manual
Page 5
The 2001 season he finished the CART Championship in 9th place for Mo Nunn
Racing. His best finish was third at Japan.
In 2002, Tony made his IndyCar Series debut at Indianapolis 500, starting fifth
and leading 23 laps before an accident on Lap 89 ended his race. He finished
12th in CART standings for Mo Nunn Racing. His best finish was third at Vancou-
ver and Montreal.
When racing great Michael Andretti decided to retire as a driver, he searched
for a replacement to anchor his team. Andretti thought Tony Kanaan was the
perfect choice. Kanaan didn‘t let him down, posting a solid season in 2003, with
one victory, won MBNA Pole Awards at Homestead, Phoenix and Pikes Peak,
nine top fives and 12 top 10 finishes in 16 races. Taking the 4th place, with 476
points (against 507 of the champion Scott Dixon). This year he renewed his con-
tract with Andretti Green for another 5 years (up to the year 2008). At that time,
he said… „I think we still have a lot to conquer in the years we have ahead of us.
I have a lot to give to Honda and a title to Andretti Green. I will fight for those
things, as I fought this past year.“
2004 was an unforgettable year for the Brazilian. With 3 wins and 15 top-5
finishes, one of Tony‘s greatest dreams came true: he won the most important
title of his career. Aside from being Indy Racing League Champion, Tony broke
all the records: he completed all of the 3305 laps of the season, the only time this
feat has ever been accomplished in any form of racing. He led most laps ever in
a season, and finished in the top-5 15 consecutive times. It was a golden year!
He finished the season in 1st place with 618 points and Indy Racing League
Champion.
In 2005, Tony fought the whole year for the second title, but ended the season
as the runner-up. He achieved 2 wins (Kansas and Sonoma) and the pole position
for the Indy 500. Tony
’s debut on road circuits was a success. He won one
(Sonoma) and finished 2nd in the other two (St. Petersburg and Watkins Glen).