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If you read my blog last week, you knew that I was sceptical about the true quality of this year's edition of the Indianapolis 500 race.
However, after Sunday afternoon's 500-miler ran at a blazing pace, I honestly have to admit that most of the “unknown” drivers really impressed me, including a rookie with limited motorsport experience, Carlos Munoz, who drove a Chevy-powered Dallara for Andretti Autosport.
In his maiden start in the IZOD IndyCar series, the young Munoz never misstepped all race long, and I believe he could have seriously challenged the winner if a late-race crash hadn't caused the last laps to be run under the yellows.
One of the crowd favourites, Tony Kanaan, captured an emotional victory, his first at the Brickyard. Poor Tony lead the Indy 500 year after year, but his quest for victory was always stopped by a minor incident, a brush with the wall or a mechanical failure.
American race fans just love a man like Kanaan -- a true fighter. The crowd was on its feet during the final laps, cheering for Kanaan who's been living in the U.S. for quite a while.
“I'll finally have my ugly face on this trophy!” said Kanaan, laughing during the post-race interview.
Who remembered last Sunday that Tony Kanaan started his motorsport career in Europe, contesting the Italian Formula 3 Championship? A very close friend of Rubens Barrichello, Kanaan then moved to the U.S. where he won the 1997 Indy Lights title. That was a real break in his career.
And who remembered that the diminutive Brazilian tested a BAR-Honda Formula 1 car at Jerez in September 2005 as a reward for clinching the Indy Racing League title the year before?
Would Kanaan be a top runner in F1? Yes, probably. He certainly had the talent, but it's very hard to assess if he had the determination and motivation to make unbelievable sacrifices to succeed in F1. He also needed the financial backing to get there.
However, it doesn't really matter if Tony raced F1 or not. He has just won one of the three most prestigious motorsport events in the world. He also showed, once again, that you should never ever give up. Never give up on your dreams.
Tony Kanaan's victory made me fall in love with the Indy 500 event again.
However, after Sunday afternoon's 500-miler ran at a blazing pace, I honestly have to admit that most of the “unknown” drivers really impressed me, including a rookie with limited motorsport experience, Carlos Munoz, who drove a Chevy-powered Dallara for Andretti Autosport.
In his maiden start in the IZOD IndyCar series, the young Munoz never misstepped all race long, and I believe he could have seriously challenged the winner if a late-race crash hadn't caused the last laps to be run under the yellows.
One of the crowd favourites, Tony Kanaan, captured an emotional victory, his first at the Brickyard. Poor Tony lead the Indy 500 year after year, but his quest for victory was always stopped by a minor incident, a brush with the wall or a mechanical failure.
American race fans just love a man like Kanaan -- a true fighter. The crowd was on its feet during the final laps, cheering for Kanaan who's been living in the U.S. for quite a while.
“I'll finally have my ugly face on this trophy!” said Kanaan, laughing during the post-race interview.
Who remembered last Sunday that Tony Kanaan started his motorsport career in Europe, contesting the Italian Formula 3 Championship? A very close friend of Rubens Barrichello, Kanaan then moved to the U.S. where he won the 1997 Indy Lights title. That was a real break in his career.
And who remembered that the diminutive Brazilian tested a BAR-Honda Formula 1 car at Jerez in September 2005 as a reward for clinching the Indy Racing League title the year before?
Would Kanaan be a top runner in F1? Yes, probably. He certainly had the talent, but it's very hard to assess if he had the determination and motivation to make unbelievable sacrifices to succeed in F1. He also needed the financial backing to get there.
However, it doesn't really matter if Tony raced F1 or not. He has just won one of the three most prestigious motorsport events in the world. He also showed, once again, that you should never ever give up. Never give up on your dreams.
Tony Kanaan's victory made me fall in love with the Indy 500 event again.
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| Photo: John Cote/IMS |