Tony Kanaan

Tony Kanaan started karting at eight years old and quickly demonstrated his excellence in racing, becoming a five-time São Paulo Kart champion and Brazilian Kart champion. However, at the age of 13, he faced a significant loss when his father, his biggest supporter in motorsport, passed away. Undeterred, Kanaan took his mentor's advice to heart: Never stop racing.

By the time he was 19 years old, Kanaan had already made a name for himself in the F-Ford and F-Chevrolet circuits in Brazil. Driven by his dream of racing in Formula 1, he moved to Italy, where he competed in F-Opel, became the Italian Alfa-Boxer champion, and participated in the Italian F-3 championship. After numerous races and challenges, Kanaan's journey led him to the United States at the end of 1995 for a crucial test among 10 drivers vying for a spot in Indy Lights. Kanaan emerged as the fastest driver in the test, earning him a spot in the IndyCar entry category for two seasons.

In 1996, he finished second in the championship, and the following year, he clinched the title. In 1998, Kanaan took a significant step in his career by joining F-Indy (CART), where he raced for Tasman Motorsports and won the Rookie of the Year award. He secured his first victory in the category while racing for the Forsythe team in 1999. In 2000, he moved to Mo Nunn Racing before being signed by Michael Andretti at the end of 2002 to join his team.

The year 2004 marked a milestone in Kanaan's career when he won the IndyCar championship, completing every lap of every race of the season, a record he still holds today.

However, at the end of 2010, Kanaan faced a setback when Andretti Autosport terminated his contract due to the loss of its main sponsor, leaving him without a job for the 2011 season. With only seven days left before the first race of 2011, Kanaan signed a contract with the mid-sized KV Racing team. In his debut race, he finished third. Kanaan raced for three seasons at KV Racing, where he achieved his most significant victory: the 2013 Indianapolis 500, a triumph that, until then, had been missing from his impressive resume. In 2014, he transferred to Chip Ganassi Racing, where he competed for four seasons.

In 2017, Kanaan signed with the legendary AJ Foyt's team, and in November 2020, he announced his return to Chip Ganassi Racing to participate in the oval stages in 2021 and 2022, partnering with Jimmie Johnson.