In a bold pre-race strategy, Tony Kanaan (the guy all in green with the noticeable nose) cements his grip on a top-5 and makes himself the favorite to win by a nose (HAR!) by going on record with pressdog.
Mega shout outs to Rob Cleveland, Andretti Green Racing PR chieftain, for getting these totally, 100% real answers to many burning questions.
Keep reading for more on Tony’s favorite track, how jazzed he gets at the Indy 500 and some inside scoop on the Iron Hand of Justice (IRL race control chief Brian Barnhart).
pressdog: What's it like on the parade laps at the Indy 500? How does it feel coming down to the green at Indy?
TK: There's really nothing like it. It's a very special day. I'm always ready to get in the car and race but I do really enjoy all the prerace activites that go on at Indy. When you are on the parade laps and you see all those people, it is very hard to stay focused. When you get to the final parade lap, it's time to race and you forget about everything else.
pressdog: We see you guys on TV hanging out, joking around, etc. Are there ever times when you get really pissed at fellow drivers and have to go "discuss" something with them?
TK: Of course. It doesn't happen too often but it happens. There are drivers that you can trust out there and some you cannot so you try not to put yourself in situations that might turn out bad.
pressdog: What do you think is the biggest challenges facing the league today?
TK: Just getting some of the fans to return. But, I think some of that is blown out of proportion, though, especially during Indianapolis. People tend to forget that we raced in front of 30,000 people at certain tracks in the good days of CART, too. We still get a huge crowd at Indy. We race in front of 400,000 people. Carb Day is growing. But, as drivers, we have to take it upon ourselves to be more accessible to fans. Ultimately it's in our hands.
pressdog: Do you think it would be possible for you to get used to driving slow enough to be a NASCAR driver? I mean, we're talking about under 200 mph.
TK: I don't know if I could ever get used to that! I mean, those guys are great drivers and a few of them have been in open-wheel cars, so if they can make the transition, I know I could too.
pressdog: Any idea of what's up with Wheldon and the shoes?
TK: His shoes? How about his white glasses? I don't think anyone really understands Dan! No, he's a good friend of mine. He's a guy that I trust and respect on the track. He and I have already battled this year at Motegi and we raced each other fare. He's a good guy but I like to ratchet him up when we're not on track!
pressdog: Aside from Indy, what are your favorite tracks to go to?
TK: I really enjoy Motegi. I've obviously had some success there but I always enjoy the experience of going to Japan. Honda takes very good care of us when we're there and the fans truly enjoy the race. It's a lot of fun. I think St. Pete is a fantastic course also. Team 7-Eleven has always been very close there and have finished on the podium each year. Hopefully we'll be able to get AGR another victory there next year.
pressdog: Street racing. Love it? Hate it? What's the difference in mentality when you approach a street/road race compared to an oval?
TK: Love it. Absolutely. I think you'll find that most of the drivers in the series enjoy racing on road courses. It's what I grew up doing and watching. We did a lot of road racing in CART and I was very happy with the IndyCar Series decided to add road courses to the schedule. If you think about it, some of the best road courses in the United States are now on the schedule. Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Infineon, which is another track the 7-Eleven car has been very good on. I enjoy it tremendously.
pressdog: You guys seem to be fond of scooters. How long before we have scooters being tweaked up and scooter races breaking out? Or, are you already racing scooters around the mobile homes?
TK: We have a lot of fun but not just on scooters. Sometimes we'll hijack golf carts on the way to PR or sponsor events and then it's really on. We don't get to bump on the race track, so we do it a lot on scooters and golf carts.
TK: pressdog: If I don't ask you about Danica, will you be disappointed?
TK: No, but you'll be the first reporter all month who hasn't asked me about her...or Milka...or Sarah...or Helio...or my boss...or Marco. I'm just glad you wanted to talk to me.
pressdog: Arni the Insider, the bloggers, what do you think of us? Is it true you RUSH to pressdog.com daily?
TK: I love pressdog. I'm doing my own blog on myracer.com, too. I enjoy the blogs and the vast majority of the media. I've found that most of the members of the media are just trying to do their jobs and are really good people. The Insider, though, I don't know. He's a bit of a pain. Here's the real scoop, though. He doesn't have the inside scoop. We let him think he knows what's going on but the real joke is on him.
pressdog: You're 35. Have the age jokes started?
TK: Of course. Now that Bryan Herta isn't around anymore, I'm the old man of the group. I've still got something on them, though! I'm quicker than they are.
pressdog: Brian Barnhart, the Iron Hand of Justice, is it true he makes children cry just by looking at them?
TK: I don't know if he makes children cry but he can certainly make me cry. He has a very difficult job and has to make a lot of tough decisions but he does a great job.
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MAD. PROPS.
See you tomorrow.
Posted by: MoneyCJ | May 25, 2007 at 01:48 PM
Great job pressdog. I totally forgot to purchase one of your "let's light this candle" tee shirts. Sorry about that. Maybe I'll use a magic marker to promote pressdog.com. Thanks for the interview with Tony. What a class act. (Both of you). I hope to see him swigging the milk on Sunday. God, I love that place!!!!!!!
Posted by: Joe Ethridge | May 25, 2007 at 03:21 PM
Fabulous! My favorite blogger talking to my favorite driver... what more could i ask for? a pressdog shirt you say? nope... i've got 2 of those! can't wait for the big race!
Posted by: Lisa R | May 26, 2007 at 10:21 AM