By Dick Mittman
indy500.com
Friday, October 22, 2004
Buddy Rice of the United States and Tony Kanaan of Brazil finished one-two, respectively, in the 2004 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. In the Indy Racing League® IndyCar® Series standings, they finished one-three, with Kanaan the champ.
But today in their home countries, two of the largest in the world, they are No. 1.
On July 19, Rice visited with President George W. Bush at the White House. It was one of his rewards for winning the 88th Indianapolis 500 on May 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kanaan crossed the finish line directly behind him in second.
Kanaan went on the win the IndyCar Series championship, with Rice placing third. Two days after the season-ending Chevy 500 on Oct. 17, Kanaan received a call from Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, inviting him for a visit Oct. 25 at the Brasilia palace.
Thus the two champions have been and will be saluted by their nation's highest public official.
"I just got a call from the president of Brazil," said Kanaan, who along with Rice and Menards Infiniti Pro Series™ champion Thiago Medeiros attended the 2005 Indianapolis 500/500 Festival Theme announcement Oct. 19 at the Speedway.
"I'm very happy, very pleased about that. I never think I would get a phone call and get invited to go there."
Rice, who got to chat with President Bush, visit the Oval Office and pose for pictures with the president, said there are some special rewards for winning the Indy 500 beyond the $1,761,740 check.
"Things I wouldn't have been able to do without winning," he said.
"But that's the whole reason I came here (Indy) and wanted to run here because I wanted to win the 500. So that definitely was one of the big goals. So everything else was secondary to that.
"It's been very cool to experience everything that I have and just be able to be a part of it."
Two days after the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway, both drivers already were looking ahead to 2005. Winning Indy was their No. 1 priority.
Kanaan finished third in 2003 and second in 2004. He hopes the progression upward continues and he moves to the front spot next May 29.
"I hope so," he said. "Indy's been very good for me. I think obviously it is such a difficult race to win and such special people have won it, so hopefully I can do that."
Kanaan, who drives the Team 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda/Firestone for Andretti Green Racing, has another special reason to win at Indy. Michael Andretti, co-owner of AGR, drove in 14 Indianapolis 500s and led 426 laps yet never won.
"I gave him the (team's) first win, I gave him the first championship, and so hopefully I will give him the first Indianapolis 500 win," he said.
Rice, a Phoenix native who turns 29 in January, is looking toward "doing the double" next year by becoming the sixth driver to assemble back-to-back victories at the Speedway. He also wants to climb two spots to the top of the IndyCar Series standings.
"Definitely to come back and repeat what we did here in '04 and win the Indy 500 would be great," he said about his 2005 goals. "Try to do that. It'll be a little difficult, but I don't think it's something that's not possible. And, yeah, we'll be chasing the championship."
Rice, who drives the Pioneer Argent G Force/Honda/Firestone, said joining Rahal Letterman Racing last winter put him in position to be a contender to achieve such goals.
"I don't know whether relieved is the word," he said. "I think it makes everything a little bit easier for you, because the team is so good. And they have the resources and personnel to get you where you need to be, which is to win races and win championships.
"Now I'm in a position with a team that not only has won the '500,' but the team also has won championships. So that's very key to the whole plan, so I think that was what was very important to me this year."
Kanaan is more amazed that he achieved the incredible by finishing all 3,305 laps of competition in 2004 than he is about winning the championship. It's believed to be the first time a driver has finished every lap in a season in a major worldwide racing series.
"We accomplished something really special besides the title," he said. "For me, it means everything. That's what I fought all my life to have it, but I like records. And I think what happened this year is pretty amazing. So hopefully we'll be able to repeat, but it's going to be pretty hard to repeat what we did. But it's remarkable, and I'm just very happy."
On the coming New Year's Eve, Kanaan plans to be in his birth town of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, to celebrate his 30th birthday. The town is noted for its celebrations of New Year's Eve and other holidays. He was born there Dec. 31, 1974, only because his mother wanted to have her first child in her hometown. Eight days after he entered the world, she took her baby and rejoined her husband in Sao Paulo, and Tony grew up in the country's largest city.
"I love the town," he said of Salvador. "My grandmother lives there. I always go there on vacation.
"Definitely, I'll be down there. It's a city known for its beaches and bodies, and I think it is just going to be great." ***
2005 tickets: To purchase tickets, camping or parking for the 89th Indianapolis 500, contact the IMS ticket office at (800) 822-INDY or log on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
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