Kanaan claims second straight IRL victory

SPARTA, Ky. – Tony Kanaan says he’ll do whatever it takes to help Andretti Green Racing teammate Dario Franchitti claim the IndyCar Series championship.

But if Kanaan keeps winning and Franchitti keeps going airborne, it might end up being the other way around.

Kanaan blistered the field during the Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, easily passing A.J. Foyt IV with nine laps remaining for his second straight win and fourth of the season.

“Obviously since (the Indianapolis 500) we’ve been having a lot of ups and downs and we kept the spirits up and here we go,” Kanaan said.

Usually one of the more laid-back drivers on the circuit, Kanaan fought back tears in the postrace celebration. Friday would have been his late father’s birthday, and today is Father’s Day in his native Brazil.

“My wife better give me a good gift tomorrow,” said Kanaan, whose wife Dani is expecting the couple’s first child later this year.

Kanaan’s crew gave him a decent present during qualifying on Friday, as he won the pole by posting a speed more than 1.2 mph faster than Franchitti, who started second.

Though the teammates rode together for much of the race, it was clear Kanaan’s car was simply better than Franchitti’s and the 16 others in the field.

“I don’t like to fight, I like the easy life,” Kanaan said. “That’s why I took off.”

The victory pulled Kanaan within 52 points of series leader Franchitti, who faded to eighth after a couple of late-race miscues. He dropped from third to sixth after getting stuck three-wide, then damaged the nose of his car when he struck a flag while entering the pits.

Franchitti’s day, however, wasn’t over when the checkered flag waved. He ran into Kosuke Matsuura a few hundred feet past the finish line and flew into the air for his second harrowing accident in as many weeks.

Franchitti’s car pirouetted on its nose and landed against the outside wall in the first turn. He walked away unharmed.

The Indianapolis 500 champion was accelerating as he ran into Matsuura, and said he didn’t hear the call that the race was over until just before the accident.

“That one was completely my fault, there’s no excuse,” Franchitti said.

Scott Dixon finished second and moved within eight points of Franchitti for the series lead with three races remaining, but now knows he’ll have to contend with Kanaan as well.

“We definitely don’t need him winning anymore,” Dixon said. “We’ll stay aggressive. We’ve just got to stay on top of our game and keep the pressure on those boys.”

Danica Patrick, seeking her first career victory, was struck by tire problems for the second straight week. She had rallied from 11th and was running near the front when she spun out trying to leave the pits with 20 laps to go. After regaining control of her car, she blew her right rear tire and nearly collided with a safety vehicle, finishing 16th.

Marco Andretti started 15th but worked his way up to fourth. Tomas Scheckter was fifth, followed by Scott Sharp, Ed Carpenter and Franchitti.