Tony Kanaan gets back on track at Indianapolis, perhaps for the final time in storied career

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It took Tony Kanaan a dozen tries to win the Indianapolis 500, and, much later, four years to accept it was time to retire and find something else to do outside a racecar.

His 2023 start in the Indy 500 was supposed to be the last of his career and perhaps will ultimately go down as his final appearance in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

But that final 500 led to a full-time job with Arrow McLaren Racing, where in under two years Kanaan has been promoted to team principal and the man in charge of making the decisions while McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown focuses on Formula 1.

And, in a worst case weather scenario May 25, Kanaan might just find himself back in the field of 33 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After two days of rain delays, Kanaan on Thursday completed the veteran refresher course required for him to be the emergency replacement driver for Kyle Larson should Larson have to leave Indianapolis early to make it back to North Carolina for the the Coca-Cola 600.

A long rain delay in Indy last year ruined Larson's attempt to complete motorsports 1,100-mile “Double” and he never turned a lap in Charlotte. NASCAR made clear to Larson and Hendrick Motorsports that the Coca-Cola 600 must be his priority or it will cost him dearly in the Cup Series championship race.

Although Kanaan said the refresher course rekindled his passion for Indianapolis, he would prefer not to replace Larson and race again at age 50. He'd have to start last if Larson leaves Indianapolis before the race begins.

“My retirement, I think my biggest fear was how much I was going to miss this,” Kanaan said. “But not sure I want to start 33rd and try to pass everybody and suffer for 2 1/2 hours. I did go out on my own terms and I don't have the need to go back and run this race again.”

Kanaan will be on Larson's timing stand during the race and cannot replace him in the car once the race begins.

His acceptance of being a retired racer comes from the massive responsibility he's been given by Brown. With Brown based in England, Kanaan is the day-to-day boss at Arrow McLaren and thriving in the new role.

“The team loves him, I haven't had that since I started the IndyCar team. He leads by example. He's a workaholic. He's motivated, and that rubs off on people,” Brown told The Associated Press. "None of that surprises me. What did surprise me about TK is the dude can talk and listen at the same time. He takes a lot of advice, which is a bit unusual. He talks to our board members all the time — probably more than me — and he knows what he doesn't know and doesn't want to make mistakes, he's decisive, and he ain't scared.

“If I tell him to do something — and it's something unpleasant — Tony's like ‘OK, I’ll do it.' Then 10 minutes later he calls me and tells me its done.”

Adjusting to a new role

Kanaan doesn't look at his new job as the guy tasked with doing Brown's dirty work — and there was a lot of it last year as the IndyCar team had a slew of driver hiring and firings.

He said he understands the difficult business side of motorsports and noted Michael Andretti fired him in 2010 despite an existing contract over a loss of sponsorship. It was then he truly understood the brutal nature of the sport and has carried it with him into his role as leader at Arrow McLaren.

“I think the way I want to run the team, Zak and I think the same. It's not that he doesn't want to do it, it's that I'm in charge and I should do it,” Kanaan said. "If he's going to do everything for me, why am I here? When you’re being honest, good or bad, it’s going to be uncomfortable.

“I had to do a few things these with people that were my friends,” he continued. “It’s not about that. We run a company now. It’s also my reputation and how I want this team to be perceived to be successful. If people are not able to separate the friendship to the professional, then too bad. I think it’s just a choice that I made. I think I’m a fair person. I think I try to run the team as fair as I can. If you’re lacking, I will tell you. Or if you’re doing good, I’ll tell you. I will never forget, Zak told me one day, ‘You don’t need a title. If 10 people walk in the room, they should be able to pick who the boss is.’”

The drivers' view

Arrow McLaren fields three full-time entries for Pato O'Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, and a fourth car at Indy for Larson. O'Ward has embraced the feedback he receives from his new boss because Kanaan "still thinks he’s a racing driver.

“I think it drives everybody forward. Obviously, always has a good spirit, lots of energy,” O'Ward said. “I always like to hear the negative feedback more, I would say, than the positive because I feel like the positive, it’s always very dependent on just results. But I feel like behind the results, there’s a lot of things that happen, and you always learn more from the things that you’re doing maybe not optimal. I always welcome it.”

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