CART MEDIA CONFERENCE

July 18, 2000

Tony Kanaan

TONY KANAAN: Thank you and I am sorry I was late but actually I was getting my arm fixed to be ready for Sunday.

TONY KANAAN: Well, definitely. I am feeling that I am not 100% yet, but I have a very good -- I had a very good recovery and I think that is why it took me back so quick, but the arm is still a little bit sore and I am doing go-kart runs all the time. Actually I am going to do that in a half an hour again for 200 laps by Dr. Trammell's house to get my arm stronger. I lost a lot of muscles, but I think I feel that I am ready. I know I am not going to be 100% until we get to Mid-Ohio because it takes actually eight weeks to heal the bone completely, but we took some X-rays yesterday and the bone looks fine; looked that it's healing pretty good and hopefully I can come back and defend my title in Michigan this weekend.

TONY KANAAN: Well, the plan is to have a very good race car in traffic. This was what we did last year. We got caught by -- we lost the wicker and we kind of changed strategy in the middle of the race last year. But like I went a lap down, but when you have a good car in traffic, you can pass people. That is all you need and that is what I had last year, and that gave me the win. Of course with a little bit of help from Max, but this year we are going to really work hard to get the best setup on traffic for the race. I don't think -- everybody wants to start on pole, for sure, and you want to be the fastest guy, but 500-mile race, as long as you start in the top 12, I think you will be all set as long as you have a good race car in traffic.

TONY KANAAN: I think that was a good change that CART made and it is a lot more competitive right now with that and you can draft a lot more and it is more exciting for the public so that is what counts. It is safer for us, I think, and that is what I think was a good change and I am looking forward to go back there.

TONY KANAAN: Well, I can't say 100% yet because they want me to test the car on Thursday, but actually the test of the screws, we did it yesterday because I have been running -- like I did 450 laps already - actually 600 laps already in a go-kart. We took X-rays yesterday afternoon, me and Terry and we checked it - it looks better than when we took it before when we start running so what he said was as more as you move your arm in the right way you -- it makes the thing heal fast, the bone heal fast and everything. So I am still waiting for okay from Kirk Russell, which is the CART Chief Steward, on Thursday if I can run my car because I can run go-karts. I can run whatever I want, but I really want to check myself in my race car. But my personal opinion, I don't think it won't be any problem.

TONY KANAAN: Well, definitely I like more road courses than street courses. It is funny because the only win that I have it is an oval. But I definitely getting used to the ovals. It was something that I had to get used to since I am racing here in 1996, so it is kind of new to me, but I prefer more road courses, but I think the success that I had in CART, actually it was more in the oval because that is the only race I won. I had a couple of pointers in the road course, but I really like more road courses. But definitely -- right now I would say it is 50/50 because -- well, I don't like ovals, but that is the only win that I got. And I love road courses, but it looks like for some reason we still have to work on our setup. There is a lot of things that have to happen to make me win in a road course yet.

TONY KANAAN: Well, I am lifting weights in a little amount. I started with two pounds four weeks ago. Right now I am already in the 25, doing really progressive stuff, just to move the arm. It is nothing you can do to heal the bone quicker. So the -- I am only doing the weights to keep the muscles working and to keep the arm because I lost a lot of muscle in my left arm. It is basically -- it is a patient game. You have to be really patient and just move gently and I am squeezing some soft balls to get the motion in the fingers because -- I had a cast for a couple of weeks, so it gets pretty -- it is amazing how much muscle you lose in a couple of weeks and the movements and everything. That is the only thing that I am doing. I am going to start swimming on Monday after the Michigan race to get more strength, but that is basically -- I am doing some cardio, but it is just to not lose my -- the thing that I built in the beginning of the year, the strength and everything.

TONY KANAAN: Okay, the most painful one he is keeping me away from Florida for two weeks already, so that is really tough. I like Indianapolis, but Florida is much better. Trammell has been really, really nice with me and he is doing everything that he can and the amount of time we have to make me come back. What I am doing is a lot of go-karting and he doesn't give me any break. I am doing 100 laps in 15 minutes and then I have ten minute-break and I have to put some ice on and go out and do 100 more and then he puts me in a pool and he makes me swim for half an hour; takes me out of the pool; gives me 15 minutes break and puts me back in a simulator that he has in his house. I have to keep driving around Michigan with Bryan Herta's car which makes me feel bad. And that is it. That is basically what he is doing. He is sending me after that to the gym all the time. I have to lift some weights and then run for an hour. So I have been working out more than I have ever in my whole life. I told him I hope I don't break anything else because he is a killer. Every time I have to go see him, it is just like unbelievable, I am like, come on, Terry, you are -- are you a doctor or a personal trainer.

TONY KANAAN: Well, that is for sure. It is a good thing for me, to be perfectly honest, we probably have right now and the accident, I don't think we can win a Championship anymore. We are going to concentrate and do our best now and win some races and finish, for sure no top 6; I would say Top-10, to build the team strong for next year that is what I think what we need. We need to get some momentum and I was getting there and then I kind of stopped that with my accident and the team is brand new. Mercedes is coming with new stuff, so everybody is growing up every single race. Right now my goal is to go out there. I worked really hard this time that I had off in my head and I am pretty strong and I am not going to let anything to just take some victories away from me or something like that. I think I am coming stronger than what I was and we are going to concentrate, like I said, to win some races and finish a lot of, almost all of them, I hope, and get -- and build the strength for next year.

TONY KANAAN: I think, like I said, I am stronger than before.

TONY KANAAN: Well, that is -- I think the accident was a bad thing that happened to me, but it was also a good thing. I had some time to think about what I was doing wrong and the way to prepare yourself mentally, the way you get strong, it is when you are having hard times. That is the way that I learned in my life and all my life, all through my career, it was never easy; I always had to fight for what I want and I learned it the hard way and again I am learning from the hard way, but I think always help me to get stronger. That is what is happening right now. I think I am stronger than before and hopefully I am going to show you guys how strong I am on Sunday.

TONY KANAAN: It would be very good. I hope we could go to a two-car team next year. Alex is a good friend of mine and he is a very good driver. I think I need somebody good by my side to help me out and we make the team grow together. I really think Morris can put this deal together to make a two-car team, I don't know if it is going to be Zanardi or not but I just hope that happens.

TONY KANAAN: Well, first I think when it comes your day it is your day, doesn't matter what happened. But talking to Terry and Terry was the one who cleared Greg to go racing. Looking at the tapes, I looked at the data because I was really concerned too. Greg was my good friend and especially coming back on the speedway I felt okay, that is -- let's look at every possibility. The accident happened not because he didn't have anything -- has nothing to do with his wrist. He just spun and keep on throttle. I have full mobility. I have 100% of the movement back. The only thing that I don't have, my arm is still broken. I still have some crack in my bone, but I have full mobility, so I don't think it will be a problem. We are maybe hurrying up a week or something like that, that will be -- the bone right now, it is 80% healed. It is not 100% yet. That is the only thing that is keeping me to race, so I don't think it will be a problem. And if I thought in any moment in Terry or anybody thought I would, I would not even come back. So if that race was a road course I would never be back in the car. We are only coming back because it is an oval.

TONY KANAAN: Well, the go-kart, it is the best race car to drive even, you know, the reflexes have to be really quick; the steering, it is really heavy and so if you can drive a go-kart, basically you can drive any kind of race car. That is why we are doing the go-kart rehab. That is the only way I can drive the kind of race car right now. I cannot take my Indy car around all the time. My guys are really busy. That is the way that we found - the go-kart is one of the best workouts a driver can do to keep himself fit actually.

TONY KANAAN: Both. We do both. Terry has plenty of them and Bryan Herta just sent me one shifter so we have all kind of go-karts.

TONY KANAAN: Well, I was sad and I was happy at the same time. Max is a good friend of mine and I think he led most of the race and in the last corner -- well, that is the way the races are. I would kind of say, oh, God, I was sad it was him, it happened to him, but at the same time I said, hey, I have the chance to win. And to win, what it takes is you have to be in the right place at the right time. That is what I was. And it was wonderful. I didn't have too much time to think about because Montoya was growing up in my mirrors pretty fast. I just took it in the best way that I could and now it is one of my best memories right now.

TONY KANAAN: I broke right in the middle of my forearm, I broke two bones and I have two plates and seven screws in each plate so it is 14 screws total.

TONY KANAAN: A robocop. I have a stronger arm than anybody.

TONY KANAAN: Well, I was in a lot of pain actually. Terry didn't -- he made me watch the stunt and he put me back in the go-kart, 150 laps, I was pretty tired when I came back to watch the race there. I had no strength to do anything. I just was watching. Then I was hoping that my good friend Cristiano could win the race, it would be great for him. Actually I tell you what, I don't want to watch anymore races from home. It is just painful. I was ten times more nervous than when I am in the track because I am watching people and I am not used to that. I am used to being watched. Second, it looks like when somebody drive your car - nothing against to Bryan - but it is kind of like seeing your girlfriend going out with somebody else.

TONY KANAAN: Thank you very much.