The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
43°F
Current Conditions
Broken clouds
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Kanaan on pole for Indy 400, his first this season

Tony Kanaan of Brazil is congratulated by his crew after capturing the pole position during a qualifying run for the IRL Michigan Indy 400. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Tony Kanaan of Brazil is congratulated by his crew after capturing the pole position during a qualifying run for the IRL Michigan Indy 400. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Tony Kanaan won the pole Saturday for the Michigan Indy 400 with a fast lap of 215.871 mph at the D-shaped, 2-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway at Brooklyn, Mich.

It was the first pole of the season for Kanaan, who has finished in the top 10 in all nine races, the top five eight times and won three times. He leads the points standings with 357. Buddy Rice, who will start sixth today, is second with 293.

“We had a good run, no doubt about it,” Kanaan said of his qualifying drive. “This pole feels good for now … but I need to start thinking about the race.”

Kosuke Matsuura will start alongside Kanaan in the front row after a lap of 214.718.

“We put everything together, and everything is going well,” said Matsuura, an Indy car rookie.

Helio Castroneves had qualified second at 214.925, but he was moved to the back of the 22-car field because he will replace his Toyota engine for the race.

Scott Dixon will start third after running 214.328 mph. Sam Hornish Jr. starts fourth at 214.179.

Hornish lost last year’s race by about three feet to Alex Barron, who will start Sunday’s race from the 14th position.

Kvapil wins NASCAR truck race

Travis Kvapil moved into the lead with 17 laps remaining and held on for his first victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season at Michigan International Speedway.

Kvapil finished ahead of Ted Musgrave in the Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners 200, surging into the lead coming off a caution in the 100-lap race and holding off several challengers.

Sponsor crackdown

NASCAR is cracking down on drivers who trash sponsor products they’re not affiliated with after the race. Powerade and Coke are the official sponsors of NASCAR and those products are often placed on the roof of cars in victory lane.

Those with competing sponsorships often toss those products and inflated bottles off their cars.

Matt Kenseth, who starts 15th Sunday, said he could understand why some sponsors are upset.

“The signage went from being a 20-ounce bottle to a 3-foot tall empty bottle,” he said. “That signage was bigger than our main sponsor, Dewalt. You could see their 3-foot bottle sign more than you could see their name on the side of the car. I don’t think that’s quite fair.”