Kanaan retakes leadership role on AGR team
(AP)
Updated: 2006-05-18 08:54 "He's a little bit older, but he's no more mature," teammate Dario Franchitti
jokes of the 31-year-old Brazilian. "He's as fun as ever."
Kanaan entered this season as the most visible and successful driver on a
team that has won the last two series points titles.
This month, Kanaan again may find himself in a backseat role. Along with
Franchitti, Kanaan is part of a five-car team that includes Bryan Herta and two
drivers with the most famed last name in American racing — Michael Andretti and
his babyfaced son, Marco.
The questions now focus on the father-son duo trying to overcome the infamous
Andretti bad luck at the Indy 500. The older Andretti has returned to Indy after
a two-year retirement, still chasing the one major victory that has eluded him
as a driver for more than two decades.
But Kanaan may have the best chance to win.
He's been the team's most consistent driver this year with two top-five
finishes in the first three races and is fifth in the points. Only Roger
Penske's two drivers, two-time Indy champ Helio Castroneves and two-time IRL
champ Sam Hornish Jr., and Ganassi's two drivers, Wheldon and former IRL champ
Scott Dixon, have performed better.
And that's not what Andretti Green is accustomed to after winning the last
two points titles. One difference this year is that Honda engines are now
available to all teams.
"I think there's been a little shift," Herta said. "The last two seasons,
they've been chasing us. Now that we've all got the same engines, I think
they're doing a couple of things better than we are."
Few IRL drivers have outdone Kanaan in recent years.
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