Latest news with #TonyKanaan
CTV News
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Pato O'Ward wins Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, ending frustrating run in Canada
Pole sitter Colton Herta of the United States leads the field into turn 1 at the start of the 2025 Honda Indy Toronto in Toronto, on Sunday, July 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn TORONTO — Mexico's Pato O'Ward has always enjoyed the sights and sounds of Toronto, it's just the IndyCar Series race around Exhibition Place he didn't like, struggling year after year on the street course. O'Ward finally won the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on Sunday, for the seven-year veteran's first victory in Canada. A pep talk from Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan to the crew the night before, some solid strategy, and a little bit of luck made the win happen. 'It's a big day. It's a very big day,' said O'Ward at this post-race news conference. 'It feels pretty special in a place that has arguably been one of the biggest headaches every single year that we come here.' Like most of the drivers in the 11-turn, 2.874-kilometre race, O'Ward started on a set of less-favourable alternate Firestone Firehawk tires. He had them switched out in his first pit stop just ahead of a Lap 3 caution. That meant O'Ward only had to use the less-favourable set for the better part of two green-flag laps. Although that strategy forced him into a three-stop race, he was able to run the primary compound the rest of the way. 'It's a really good feeling that we didn't just nail the strategy and get lucky, but we also had to earn our win today,' said O'Ward. 'It wasn't given to us. We had the car to be able to do that.' Kanaan, the IndyCar Series champion in 2004 and the winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500, said he was sick of the narrative that O'Ward and Arrow McLaren struggle in Toronto. 'It hasn't been historically a good weekend for us here, which I didn't want to hear that coming in here,' said Kanaan. 'I was never that type of person. 'As a team, we got together last night and I said, 'Let's change that.' (...) I don't want to believe that's why we won, but...' Rinus VeeKay of the Netherlands finished second and Kyffin Simpson of the United States placed third. Defending champion Colton Herta, who started in pole position on Sunday, was closing in on Simpson with a handful of laps to go when a caution solidified the podium. 'Definitely the final part, looking forward, really trying to close the gap to Pato, it was really hard to close,' said VeeKay. 'I think the track didn't really allow many overtakes. 'All three of us were kind of hovering around the same pace, closing in, making the gap bigger at times. It wasn't very exciting at the end, but it was a lot of work in the car.' Although VeeKay felt there wasn't a lot of opportunities to overtake at the front of the pack, there were actually many passes in the 90-lap race around Toronto's downtown fairgrounds. There were 226 on-track passes (most in the event since 2014) and 201 passes for position (most since 2019). Spain's Alex Palou, the overall standings leader, finished 12th on Sunday, losing significant ground to O'Ward in the points list. O'Ward entered the weekend trailing Palou by 129 points, but cut that to 99 points with four races left in the season. 'We need to make sure that we continue to have days like today, not just one but a few,' said O'Ward. 'Obviously, we're at a time in the championship where we're going to have to get a little bit more into the conversation of getting our elbows out because that's what I had to do today just to open the doors to having a chance to win this race. 'That's the only way we're even going to catch a whiff of making him sweat a little bit.' Toronto's Devlin DeFrancesco, the only Canadian on the grid, finished 22nd, completing 57 laps. His day was derailed when he had to take a lengthy pit stop to have his car repaired after taking some damage in an accident in the 37th lap. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2025. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pato O'Ward bucks trend to win at Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto
Mexico's Pato O'Ward won the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on an Exhibition Place street course that, historically, has been the toughest track on the IndyCar Series schedule for him. O'Ward and Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan said that they wanted to overcome that perception. (July 20, 2025).
Fox News
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
INDYCAR Driver Nolan Siegel Suffers Mild Concussion, Out For Sunday's Race At Iowa
NEWTON, Iowa — INDYCAR driver Nolan Siegel will miss the second race of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader weekend after suffering a mild concussion in a hard crash in the opener on Saturday. Siegel was not cleared by the INDYCAR medical staff to race Sunday morning. The Arrow McLaren No. 6 car will not compete in the 275-lap event which airs at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. "He has a mild concussion. … [The doctors] looked at the accelerometer and all the data that they have and determined that he had a mild one, but they wanted him to recheck him [today]," Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan said. After he exited the medical center on Saturday, Siegel indicated he planned to race today despite the hard hit, which caused the race to be stopped briefly so the wall could be repaired. "Yeah, it's a big hit, but yeah, I'm fine, I think," Siegel said Saturday. "We'll be good. I'm excited for tomorrow, starting fifth. It will be a good day. It was a good day today [until the wreck]." But after being re-evaluated Sunday morning, Siegel was not cleared. No one else changes position as there will be no car on the inside of Row 3 for the start of the race. "There's no place I'd rather be than out there driving today, especially from P5, one of my best starting positions of the season," Siegel said in a statement. "I know I'm in good hands with the INDYCAR medical team and thank them for the great care they provide us drivers. "Most of all, I feel for [my] crew. They gave me a rocket this weekend and put in a ton of work last night with hopes we'd be racing today. They deserve to be out there fighting for podium, and we'll be back soon to do just that." Siegel said Saturday that the handling of his car changed late in the race. "It was a little weird from the time I left pit lane and hadn't had a lot of oversteer up until then," Siegel said. "And then I just lost it in the middle of [turns] 3 and 4. I was pushing hard. ... There's not much more to it." While Siegel was hopeful to race today, Kanaan said he was told after the race Saturday by INDYCAR that it needed to know that night if there would be a substitute driver because it would need to schedule a short practice session for that driver. Kanaan was still thinking at that time Siegel would be cleared. "In my opinion, I really didn't believe that Nolan was not going to get cleared," Kanaan said. Kanaan had hoped that INDYCAR might bend the rule and allow him (Kanaan) to start-and-park the car for the five entrant points, which could be pivotal as the No. 6 car is on the bubble to be top-22 in owner points and the bonus money that goes with it. INDYCAR wouldn't allow that, and Siegel, who is 21st in the series standings, will earn three points instead of the typical five for a 27th-place finish since he is not starting the race. Siegel will work with doctors this week and be re-evaluated Thursday to determine his status for next week's race at Toronto. Kanaan will decide on a substitute/standby driver likely early this week since that driver will have to travel to Toronto – and that Kanaan himself won't be an option. "I've been there, I know how Nolan feels not racing today," Kanaan said in a statement earlier Sunday. "It's the worst feeling in the world. The most important thing, though, is that he's fit to race, and unfortunately that's not the case today. "It was a tough decision to park the car, but we've been through this before. We just found out this morning he's not cleared, and we decided the best thing for the team is to not rush into switching drivers this weekend. It's too much of a shuffle and unnecessary stress when we're right back to racing in Toronto in a week." Last year, the team used a couple of substitute drivers when David Malukas broke his wrist mountain biking prior to the season. One of those substitute drivers, Theo Pourchaire, could be an option to be the substitute/standby driver for Siegel. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Forbes
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
How Tony Kanaan Nearly Returned To IndyCar Cockpit At Iowa Speedway
Tony Kanaan NEWTON, Iowa – In his career as an IndyCar Series driver, Arrow McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan started 15 races at Iowa Speedway and drove to victory in 2010. Kanaan nearly made his 16th start at Iowa as a replacement driver for Nolan Siegel on Sunday, July 13. Here's how it all happened. In Sunday's Synk 275 IndyCar Series race, Siegel crashed in the fourth-turn wall on Lap 248. The impact was so severe, it damaged the SAFER Barrier that Red Flagged the race so repairs could be made. Siegel also had a bruise on his leg from hitting the inside of the tub and steering wheel from the impact. Siegel Has 'Mild Concussion' Kanaan confirmed Sunday morning that driver Siegel has a 'mild concussion' according to the IndyCar Medical Unit. That is why he was not cleared to drive in Sunday's Farm to Finish 275 at Iowa Speedway. 'He has a mild concussion, that is why he is out of the car,' Kanaan told Forbes, FOX Sports and the Indianapolis Star Sunday morning in the NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Technical Center in the IndyCar Paddock. 'I don't think he was knocked out. We talked to him right after on the radio and he replied. Nolan Siegel during the Sukup Race Weekend Race 1 at Iowa Speedway on July 12, 2025 in Newton, Iowa. ... More (Photo by Perry Nelson/Lumen via Getty Images) 'As we went through the concussion tests, they looked at the accelerometer and the data they had, and they determined he had a mild concussion.' Kanaan also confirmed that he considered starting Sunday's race in place of Siegel to ensure getting five points for the Leaders Circle. But according to Kanaan, IndyCar Race Director Kyle Novak needed to know Saturday night in order to give Kanaan a 15-minute refresher session on the .894-mile Iowa Speedway short oval to start the race. Because Siegel was scheduled for a Sunday morning re-evaluation by IndyCar's Medical Unit, it would have been premature to have named a replacement driver. Kanaan won the 2004 IndyCar Series Championship and the 2013 Indianapolis 500. He was one of the best drivers of his generation with 27 IndyCar wins in his career. Since retiring as a driver, Kanaan has climbed the ranks to become Arrow McLaren Team Principal. Because of Siegel's unknown medical status on July 12, Kanaan did a seat fitting using Pato O'Ward's seat and driver's suit after Saturday's race in case he was called into action. Novak, however, stood firm on the IndyCar rule that he would have had to know by late Saturday night in order to schedule the 15-minute session for Kanaan on Sunday morning. 'Pato's suit fits me and his seat, so I put Pato's seat in the car, the suit on and sat just in case,' Kanaan said. 'We were pending their decision, but we thought why rush it, let's sit there and try.' Fans noticed Saturday night that Kanaan was in O'Ward's fire suit. The original plan for Kanaan was simply to start the race then park to get five points in the race. By not starting, Siegel's entry will receive three points. 'By the rule book, if you are ever subbing for someone, the driver has to have a 15-minute session prior to the race,' Kanaan said. 'Last night, Kyle told me I need to know now. I told him I did not know yet. 'I was not going to put anyone else in the car and it would be two extra points to start the race. I told them, 'I'm cleared to drive. Can we do it?' 'Kyle said, we don't have time to do the session.' Kanaan said no driver can start an IndyCar race without participating in a session over the weekend. 'I didn't know until 9 a.m. Sunday that my driver wasn't capable, but I don't disagree with their decision,' Kanaan said. 'The rules are the rules. That was the reason. 'People saw me in the driver's suit and then my wife called and asked, 'What are you doing?' Buy it was for two extra points and now we will get three instead of five for not starting the race.' Siegel's entry gets three points for participating in the race weekend, including Saturday's Synk 275. 'We had time for an extra session, but I wasn't going to do anything until I knew for sure about Nolan,' Kanaan said. 'I wasn't going to run the race, I was going to start the race, then pull in. 'That's why I didn't think it was a big deal.' Nolan Siegel during the NTT INDYCAR Series Sukup Race Weekend Race 1 at Iowa Speedway on July 12, ... More 2025 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Perry Nelson/Lumen via Getty Images) Kanaan said the track got cooler toward the late afternoon, Siegel's car picked up front grip and started to get oversteer. 'It got the best of him,' Kanaan said. 'He did hit the apron, but there are two instances of hitting the apron. You can misjudge and hit, or the car gets loose and points you to the apron. 'I'm not going to say it was him because if he got loose and hit the apron, that is naturally what is going to happen. 'I'm not going to say if it was that or driver error.' Kanaan saw improvement in the 20-year-old driver in Saturday's race and was scheduled to start fifth in Sunday's second race of the doubleheader. 'There is no denying Kyle Moyer on that stand has created more confidence for the kid,' Kanaan said of the hiring of the former Team Penske General Manager. 'Sometimes that is all you need as a driver. 'He was starting fifth today on a track that is tough to pass. It's a bummer.' Kanaan has had four concussions in his career and realized that Siegel badly wanted to race on Sunday. Arrow McLaren said Siegel will be observed for any changes including sleep. On Thursday morning, he will be re-evaluated by IndyCar Medical before he can be cleared to compete on the streets of Toronto. 'I'm going to have work on a backup plan just in case,' Kanaan said. 'The only way Nolan won't be in that car is if he is not cleared. That is above my paygrade, but I will work on a backup for it just in case.' Kanaan said drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay, Jack Harvey, Linus Lundqvist and Theo Pourchaire are all drivers he would consider in case Siegel is not cleared to compete at Toronto. 'It's a short list, but it's an important race for us,' Kanaan said. 'I'm definitely not an option for Toronto. 'I need to go through today, get through this race and sleep on it, think about what is the best fit because a driver might sit there all weekend and not drive. 'We'll probably bring a backup regardless, because if it is coming back from a concussion, it isn't clear until he has completed his first session.' Kanaan said he would have only completed one lap at Iowa Speedway, and he did not want to participate in the entire race. 'If I had been on the grid, Scott Dixon would have laughed at me forever,' Kanaan said. 'I have no desire going against these guys and getting beat because I would really be mad again. 'I'm not here to create more chaos. 'But I was going to tell Scott McLaughlin, 'Hey, get out of my way.' 'Picture this, though. The No. 6 car would have been Kyle Moyer, who I worked with, Scott Harner was my spotter, and it would have been a Déjà vu weekend, but IndyCar shut us down.' Tony Kanaan (right) and Scott Dixon (left) at the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at ... More Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 22, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by)
Forbes
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
IndyCar Driver Nolan Siegel Not Cleared To Compete At Iowa After Crash
Nolan Siegel (left) with Tony Kanaan during the NTT INDYCAR Series Sukup Race Weekend Race 1 at Iowa ... More Speedway on July 12, 2025 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Perry Nelson/Lumen via Getty Images) NEWTON, Iowa – Nolan Siegel will not compete in Sunday's Farm To Finish 275 at Iowa Speedway after IndyCar Medical did not clear him to drive. Arrow McLaren announced there won't be a substitute driver in the No. 6 Chevrolet for the 275-lap race, so 26 cars will start instead of 27. Arrow McLaren issued a statement three hours before Sunday's race at Iowa Speedway on July 13. "Following an on-track incident on Lap 248 of yesterday's race at Iowa Speedway, Nolan Siegel has not been cleared to compete by the INDYCAR Medical Team. The team has made the decision to not run the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet without its team driver in today's race. Nolan will continue to be evaluated, and we will stay in close contact with the Medical Team as he recovers.' The crash in the fourth-turn wall on Lap 248 was so severe, it damaged the SAFER Barrier that Red Flagged the race so repairs could be made. "There's no place I'd rather be than out there driving today, especially from P5, one of my best starting positions of the season,' Siegel said. 'I know I'm in good hands with the INDYCAR Medical Team and thank them for the great care they provide us drivers. 'Most of all, I feel for the 6 car crew. They gave me a rocket this weekend and put in a ton of work last night with hopes we'd be racing today. They deserve to be out there fighting for podium, and we'll be back soon to do just that.' Tony Kanaan is the Arrow McLaren Team Principal and because of the short turnaround from Saturday evening's Synk 275 and Sunday's Farm To Finish 275, it was best to leave the ride vacant for Sunday. 'I've been there, I know how Nolan feels not racing today,' Kanaan said. 'It's the worst feeling in the world. 'The most important thing, though, is that he's fit to race, and unfortunately that's not the case today. It was a tough decision to park the car, but we've been through this before. 'We just found out this morning he's not cleared, and we decided the best thing for the team is to not rush into switching drivers this weekend. It's too much of a shuffle and unnecessary stress when we're right back to racing in Toronto in a week. 'After today, we'll have to make a contingency plan in case Nolan's not cleared to race in Toronto, but today, this is the best for the team.'
