Date of Birth

Birth Name

Mini Biography

Tony Kanaan was a racing fan as a boy in Brazil and even participated in some karting, but didn't consider it to be a full-time job because he had his education to attend to. However, his father, a factory owner, died when Tony was a teenager and his uncle stole money from the family business. To provide for his family, Tony Kanaan moved to Italy in hopes of advancing his race career. Despite having no money to fund his rides and often having to live in the race shop, he did well on the race track, winning races, including the 1994 Italian Formula Alfa-Boxer Championship. These trying times helped strengthen Tony's sense of hmor and today Tony is considered one of the nocest, funniest guys in racing. For the 1996 season, despite an offer of a factory-backed ride from Audi in touring cars in Italy, Kanaan went to thw United States after being quickest in a test for the Tasman team in the Indy Lights series. The next year, he won the championship. In 1998, he graduated to the CART Champ Car series with Tasman, winning the Rookie of the Year title with a 9th place finish in the final standings. The next year, he won his first pole and then his first race. In 2000, he joined the start-up Mo Nunn Team. Despite often running at the front, as of April 2002, Tony and the Mo Nunn Team are still gunning for their first CART victory.

Trivia

Race day superstitions include putting his right shoe on first, getting in the car from the left side and wearing a special pair of lucky underwear

Besides Portuguese, speaks English, Italian and some Spanish.

2004 Indy Racing League Champion

Tony Kanaan on a Vespa in the pits.

Tony Kanaan in the #11/Photo by: ...