Indy Racing
Follow the Excitement of Bryant Driver Tony Kanaan in the IRL
The longest non-automotive sponsor of the Indianapolis 500, Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems, is proud to continue its 2009 Indy Racing League (IRL) IndyCar Series sponsorship of Andretti Green Racing and driver, Tony Kanaan. Kanaan, whose love of racing began to flourish after watching his first go kart race as a child in Brazil, is entering his seventh year of involvement with Andretti Green Racing (AGR) in the 2009 season. More
Learn a little about our Bryant Driver, Tony Kanaan.
A Tradition of Open-Wheel Excitement
Current Race Recaps
August 29 – Chicagoland Speedway
Starting Position – 4th Finishing Position – 13th (running) Laps Led – 7
This Saturday event brought us an entertaining race under the lights in Chicago. The green flag dropped after nine o’clock p.m. eastern time and had fans excited from the start. While there were no major yellow flags during the evening, there were a few minor touches with the wall (none by TK!) and there was a lot of excitement with 3 car-wide racing turn after turn, lap after lap. And the last lap of the race didn’t disappoint with a photo finish between 1st and 2nd place. While Tony started high in the order in the 4th position, he was running strong the entire race and even led seven laps. However, on the final yellow near the end of the race, he got pushed back on a restart falling in position to 13th when the checkered flag fell.
August 23 – Infineon Raceway
Starting Position – 7th Finishing Position - 8th (running) Laps Led - 0
The race started with a first-lap jumble that entangled seven mid-pack cars in Turn 2. Points leader Scott Dixon, who started in 10th, ran up into the back of Kanaan forcing him off track and damaging the nose of TK’s car. The damage caused Kanaan to have to pit a lap later, putting him towards the back of the pack with other top drivers who were either in the mix or hadn’t qualified well the day before. But Kanaan persevered and drove a strong race moving the number 11 car into the top 10 for an 8th place finish.
August 9 – Mid Ohio Sports Car Course
Starting Position – 8th Finishing Position – 10th (running) Laps Led – 0
On a hot and humid Sunday in Ohio, a first-lap spin out sent TK to the back of the pack early. But with determination and grit, and not many passing opportunities on this course, Tony was able to work his way back from the bottom of the pack to the number 10 spot by the end of the long, hot day.
August 1 – Kentucky Speedway
Starting Position – 9th Finishing Position – 3rd (running) Laps Led – 1
Due to a tremendous amount of rain in Kentucky the week before the race, even though qualifying day was bright and sunny there were “weepers” (water) coming up through the track which prevented the cars from qualifying and practicing on Friday evening. Due to no qualifying, the cars started the race in the position of where the driver was in the points standings. It was a relatively quiet race with only two yellow flags for very minor incidents. So the majority of the race was run on green and Tony was able to capitalize with a good car and good driving and moved his way towards the front of the pack to find himself in a podium position at the end of the race capturing the 3rd spot. This finish also helped him in the points standings and moved him up 2 positions.
July 26 – Edmonton City Centre Airport
Starting Position – 13th Finishing Position -21st (fire) Laps Led - 0
After just 34 laps on the Edmonton street course, there was a massive in car fire due to the fuel hose not closing off during one of Tony’s pit stops. Thanks to help from several other race teams, they were able to put out the fire and pull Tony out of the car to safety. He did experience slight burns to his hands and face but due to the excellent safety equipment and fire suits, it was relatively minor. According to Tony, “The burns to my hands turned out to be very minor and far better than we first expected. I’m going to be fine. I’m just looking forward to getting back in the car on Friday and making the most of the weekend at Kentucky.”
July 12 Indy Toronto
Starting Position 20th Finishing Position 17th (contact) Laps Led 0
A rough qualifying session on Saturday put Andretti Green in an early hole to start the Honda Indy Toronto for all four of their drivers. But, like most street races, strategy and circumstance can be a great help and Andretti Green tried its best to take advantage of those opportunities. Driver Tony Kanaan was the lone Andretti Green driver to suffer the disappointment of a DNF when a late-race incident dropped him out of the top 10 and left him with a 17th place finish.
July 5 Watkins Glen International
Starting Position 9th Finishing Position 8th (running) Laps Led 0
I really thought our car was going to have a better finish today. We are working really hard to improve our race results and its frustrating when we finish lower than we expected. Im headed to Indy tonight to work with my engineers this week, so hopefully we can figure out what we can do to make us more competitive moving forward. Im looking forward to getting to Toronto since its a track I have been to many times.
June 27 Richmond International Raceway
Starting Position 17th Finishing Position 6th (running) Laps Led - 0
Tony Kanaan was the biggest mover of the night after starting 17th. Kanaan benefited from a quick early pit stop and then scratched his way into the top five before an ill-timed caution midway through the race trapped him a lap down for the rest of the night. The 2008 Richmond winner wound up finishing sixth. Kanaan is currently seventh in the standings, 89 points behind the leader.
June 21 Iowa Speedway
Starting Position – 7th Finishing Position 14th (contact) Laps Led 48
Tony Kanaan was on his way to a great day at the Iowa Speedway, highlighted by 48 laps spent leading the way. However, a lap 108 incident wiped out the #11 entry and left Kanaan with a disappointing 14th place finish.
June 6 Texas Motor Speedway
Starting Position 16th Finishing Position 8th (running) Laps Led 0
Driver Tony Kanaan put an end to his misfortune in 2009 on Saturday night with a hard-fought eight place result. Kanaan started 16th in the 24 car field, but drove into the top 10 almost instantly and went to work from there. Kanaan currently stands seventh in the IndyCar Series point standings, 53 from the top spot.
May 31 The Milwaukee Mile
Starting Position 3rd Finishing Position 19th (fire) Laps Led 25
For the second straight week, bad luck bit Tony Kanaan as the driver fell out early at Milwaukee, the result of mechanical problems and a fire in the car on lap 132.
May 24 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Starting Position 6th Finishing Position 27th (contact) Laps Led 0
Driver Tony Kanaan endured another disappointment in this years Indy 500. Kanaan suffered heavy contact with the turn 3 wall on lap 97, the result of a single-car incident when the rear suspension in his car cut loose.
April 26 Kansas Speedway
Starting Position 8th Finishing Position 3rd (running) Laps Led 0
I have to thank the pit guys for the great pit stops today. We are going into Indy leading in the championship points, which is great for the #11 car. Consistency is the key in racing, so we need to keep that in mind. We had a great race and the rain stayed off so I cant be happier with today.
April 19 Streets of Long Beach
Starting Position 11th Finishing Position 3rd (running) Laps Led 7
Tony Kanaan made his 100th start at Long Beach and it looked a lot like most of his previous 99. Kanaan, who started 11th, battled through the first half of the race until strategy put him in the top five. From there, TK did what TK does and drove to a third place finish his second top five of this young season.
April 5 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Starting Position 3rd Finishing Position 5th (running) Laps Led 0
For the Andretti Green IndyCar Series team, it was a challenging weekend, but not without its bright spots. Driver Tony Kanaan once again advanced to the Firestone Fast Six Shootout during qualifying and claimed the third starting spot for the main event on Sunday. Kanaan went on to overcome a first lap incident on race day and drove to a fifth place finish the 67th top five of his IndyCar career, which will see its 100th race in two weeks at Long Beach.
2009 IndyCar Series Racing Schedule
| Date | Track | TV |
| Sat 5-Apr | Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | on Versus |
| Sun 19-Apr | Streets of Long Beach | 3:30 p.m. on Versus |
| Sat 26-Apr | Kansas Speedway | 4:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sun 24-May | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Noon on ABC |
| Sun 31-May | The Milwaukee Mile | 3:30 p.m. on ABC |
| Sat 6-Jun | Texas Motor Speedway | 9:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sun 21-Jun | Iowa Speedway | 1:00 p.m. on ABC |
| Sat 27-Jun | Richmond International Raceway | 8:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sun 5-Jul | Watkins Glen International | 1:00 p.m. on ABC |
| Sun 12-Jul | Indy Toronto | 1:00 p.m. on ABC |
| Sun 26-Jul | Edmonton City Centre Airport | 5:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sat 1-Aug | Kentucky Speedway | 8:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sun 9-Aug | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 1:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sun 23-Aug | Infineon Raceway | 5:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sat 29-Aug | Chicagoland Speedway | 9:00 p.m. on Versus |
| Sat 19-Sep | Twin Ring Motegi | 10:30 p.m. on Versus |
| Sun 11-Oct | Homestead-Miami Speedway | 4:00 p.m. on Versus |
All television times are Eastern and subject to change.
Bryant Racing History
At the encouragement of Bryant's Indianapolis-based dealer, Bryant made its debut in auto racing at the 1958 Indianapolis 500. With the support of the Bryant name, Eddie Johnson became Bryant's first Indy 500 qualifier in car number 19. Johnson started the race in 26th position, completed all 200 laps and finished the race in 9th place.
Since then, Bryant has been a familiar sight at the Indy 500. In fact, the Bryant name has been featured on a total of 50 cars on the starting grid of what is called "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Through the years, drivers such as Eddie Sachs, Rodger Ward, Scott Brayton, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser, Jr. and Sarah Fisher have carried the Bryant colors during the traditional Memorial Day event.
As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened its doors to NASCAR with the 1994 Brickyard 400, Bryant was there sponsoring John Andretti's entry in the historic event. This was Bryant's first venture into stock car racing, which would continue with another sponsorship the following year.
In 1996, Bryant once again increased its involvement in racing by becoming a full-time sponsor of an Indy Racing League entry. The Indy Racing League (IRL) is a series for open-wheel, open-cockpit cars of the type that have raced at the Indianapolis 500 since 1911.
The full season racing sponsorship provided an entire year of excitement for Bryant. The Bryant driver, former Indianapolis 500 champ Arie Luyendyk, was a favorite going into each of the inaugural season's 5 events. Bryant enjoyed a victory at the Phoenix 200 and became the fastest Indianapolis 500 qualifier's sponsor of all time with an average speed of 236.986 mph. The successful season was the beginning of a new chapter for Bryant, as it became a frontrunner in the competitive world of auto racing.
In 1998, Bryant experienced its second victory, this time with John Paul Jr. behind the wheel. John took the checkered flag at the Texas Motor Speedway's Lone Star 500, then finished the season with a 4th place finish in Las Vegas.
The next 5 seasons, the Bryant Racing Team joined forces with Kelley Racing. As an associate sponsor with the team, Bryant had a presence on 2 cars each season. The 1999 season proved to be an exciting one, with Scott Sharp winning the Atlanta Motor Speedway event and Mark Dismore claiming victory in the season-ending Texas Motor Speedway event. In 2000, Dismore captured the pole position in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway event while Sharp won the June Texas Motor Speedway event. During the 2001 season, Dismore's highest finish was 2nd (St. Louis), and Sharp claimed victory at the June Texas Motor Speedway event.
By 2002, Kelley Racing hired 2-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser, Jr. to be Scott Sharp's teammate and drive the Bryant entry. Unser finished 2nd at the June Texas Motor Speedway event, and placed 7th in the season-ending points race. In 2003, Unser won the June Texas Motor Speedway event while teammate Sharp claimed victory in the Motegi, Japan event. And for 2004, fan favorite Sarah Fisher took the wheel for Bryant and finished 21st at the Indianapolis 500.
In 2005, Bryant participated in its tenth season of IRL action by teaming up with Fernandez Racing and driver Scott Sharp. The highlight came in August, when he won the Kentucky Motor Speedway event. At season's end, Sharp placed 5th in the points race. The following season, Scott Sharp and Fernandez Racing continued Bryant's Indy tradition by competing in the season's 14 events.
Bryant teamed with perennial IndyCar Series powerhouse Andretti Green Racing (AGR) for the 2007 season. Veteran Tony Kanaan was selected to drive for Bryant. Partnering with a proven team and daring driver, Bryant had high hopes for a successful season. A victory by Kanaan in the April Motegi event boosted Bryants confidence. The remainder of the 2007 season proved successful for Kanaan. In addition to the Motegi win in April, he claimed victory in Milwaukee, Michigan, Kentucky, and Belle Isle. Kanaan finished 3rd in the season ending points race.
Once again, Bryant partnered with AGR and driver Tony Kanaan for the 2008 IndyCar Series. Kanaan started the season strong, with top five finishes in three of the first four events leading up to the Indianapolis 500. Tony and the Bryant team found success during the remainder of the 2008 season. Kanaan earned eight more top five finishes in the remaining 12 events, including a victory at the Richmond International Raceway event. He led 415 laps during the season, the most of any driver. He finished 3rd in the year-end drivers points standings for the second consecutive year.
This season, Bryant is proud to renew its partnership with Andretti Green Racing and driver Tony Kanaan. The Bryant racing tradition continues!
