By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief
FORTH WORTH, Texas – Tony Kanaan was undone by a mysterious issue which led to an early exit in Saturday night’s DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The 43-year-old Brazilian enjoyed 18 previous starts, which included one win, nine podiums, 364 laps led and completing 3,780 of 3,783 laps at the 1.5-mile superspeedway oval. However, the 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series champion’s race came undone on Lap 28 of 248 as he slowed to pit road. He returned to the action 13 laps down before ultimately getting the call from to retire his No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing.
Although it was a suspected suspension issue, the cause remains unknown.
“I don’t know,” said Kanaan, winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500. “Something happened in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2. The car got a big wiggle. I don’t know. We’re trying to look at it.
“Obviously, then in the exit, we brushed the wall coming off the corner, so I have no idea. It happened at Indy. It happened here. I mean, things keep happening that I have no clue. It’s frustrating.”
The result will leave him finishing 21st. It was an outcome that only magnified an already rough night for the Texas-based team as rookie teammate Matheus Leist saw his No. 4 entry catch fire entering Turn 4 on Lap 7.
Although this is a bump in the road for the man that came into Texas 13th in the championship standings, he is trying to take away the positives of starting sixth on the grid and running among the top 10 for the team that is trying to find its footing in the sport once again.
“We got to get it out of the way,” he added. “It’s done. It’s over with. We can’t do anything about it. We need to take the positives out of this weekend.
“We started in the top six. We were running strong and move one.”
