From: Michael Powell 

THIRD IN POINTS: TONY KANAAN 

Editors Note: With two IRL IndyCarTM Series events remaining, there are
five drivers still eligible for the season championship. Before the Toyota
Indy 400 on Sept. 21 at California Speedway, the Indy Racing League will
issue releases focusing on each of those five drivers. This is the third in
a series of five.

PERSONAL:

Driver:	

Tony Kanaan

Car: 	

No. 11 Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Hometown: 	

Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Residence: 	

Miami

Marital Status: 	

Engaged (Daniele)

2003 SEASON:

Points: 	

425 (14 behind leader Helio Castroneves)

Place: 	

Third

Races: 	

14 

Wins: 	

1 (Phoenix)

Top fives: 	

8 (tied for second)

Top 10s:	

11 (tied for first)

MBNA Poles:	

3 (second)

Laps Led:	

285 (sixth)

Laps Completed: 	

2,686 out of 2,856 (second)

Running at the finish: 	

11 (tied for fourth)

Earnings:	

$1,469,085 (third)

Races in points lead:	

9

CAREER:

IndyCar Series championships:	

0

IndyCar Series wins: 	

1 

IndyCar Series laps led: 	

308

IndyCar Series starts: 	

15

IndyCar Series earnings: 	

$1,636,756

Indianapolis 500 victories: 	

0

Other championships: 	

Indy Lights (1997); Italian Formula Alfa-Boxer (1994); Karting (1986-1990)

For information on Kanaan's experience at California Speedway and Texas
Motor Speedway, please log onto www.indycarseries.com. 

NOTES: 

·In addition to IndyCar Series win at Phoenix, Kanaan won a CART event at
Michigan in 1999.

·In June at Texas, Kanaan finished second to Al Unser Jr. by .0810 of a
second, the 10th-closest finish in IndyCar Series history. 

QUOTE:

TONY KANAAN: _I've certainly competed for championships before, but this is
the biggest championship I've ever competed for. This is the top. This is
everything I've ever dreamed of, but I truly don't feel any pressure. The
more that you grow and the more that you race, you use the pressure as an
advantage _ as a focus to go quicker. It_s a positive. Pressure can be very
negative. Under pressure, people sometimes make mistakes. It is not
possible to describe how much I want this championship. There are no words.
I really want it for myself, and I really want it for Team 7-Eleven. I had
two goals that I had for this year: One was to win Indianapolis and the
other was the championship. Indy is over, so this is my last shot this
year. But, I just can't describe it._

INDYCAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 

1. Helio Castroneves 439

2. Scott Dixon 427

3. Tony Kanaan 425

4. Gil de Ferran 422

5. Sam Hornish Jr. 398



--- Internet Rex 2.29