Kanaan and Dixon lead way in Carb Day at Indy

Indianapolis, Ind. – In a burst of activity not seen on Carb Day in recent years, 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan and his teammate Scott Dixon topped the speed charts with speeds of 227.838 and 227.773 miles per hour, respectively. The pair drove Chevrolet-powered cars for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

All 33 drivers took part in the one-hour final tune-up for Sunday’s legendary race. In total, the racers completed 1,441 laps. Rookie Carlos Huertas turned the most laps with 65 and another rookie, James Davison, had the fewest with just 24.

“We feel good about our accomplishments,” Kanaan said. “We have worked hard together to make up for our Saturday qualification (shortcoming). While today’s lap times don’t count for much, it does feel good to be back up there. We were in a lot of traffic, and we are happy about our cars.”

Addressing the race outlook, Kanaan said, “I don’t think anyone will want to lead, and it will definitely be a pack race.”

A year ago Kanaan started 16th and won the race, and he once again has the same starting position. He indicated no one notices where you start, only where you finish.

Scott Dixon, Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Michael C. Johnson

Said Dixon about Carb Day, “In the past, the engine manufacturers put us into a position of not running too many laps, but the mileage and engine dependability today now allows us to run more laps. My car was pretty good as was Tony’s. We just got big tows, and you try to get the most out of it.”

Regarding the start, Dixon said he wasn’t concerned about being next to rookie Kurt Busch. “We are only three-wide for the parade lap and we cycle into line quickly,” he noted. Townsend Bell and Helio Castroneves, also in Chevrolets, were third and fourth fastest with rookie Mikhail Aleshin in the fifth spot and driving the fastest Honda entry.

Teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti were next in line followed by Alex Tagliani, Juan Pablo Montoya and Josef Newgarden.

NASCAR’s Kurt Busch Busch was 15th on the speed chart as he completed 53 laps.

Said Busch, “I had to get back up on my horse. As the NASCAR guys say, ‘I have to thank my crew.’ Honestly, my guys worked tirelessly to get my car put together, to make laps and to stage ourselves to progress through today. That one hour session was an old-fashioned Happy Hour thrash. It felt good to be comfortable and to get settled in. Overall, I would give it a B (grade).”