Tony Kanaan has enjoyed a long and successful career in motorsports. Indy 500 winner, and
series champion, are just a couple of the titles to go along with his long career. Known for
always being in great physical condition to race cars, he’s also parlayed that into multiple
Ironman World Championship Triathlon finishes too! We caught up with TK at the Acura Grand
Prix of Long Beach press day where he filled us in on how excited he is to be driving “Lone Star
JR’s” (Johnny Rutherford’s) Indy-winning McLaren, his preparation going into the weekend
with the team’s newest replacement driver Theo Pourchaire, and his official role with the team
now that he’s technically retired from racing. He also gives us a behind-the-scenes story about
one of his favorite moments here in Long Beach. Enjoy!

By Larry Mason

Copyright © 2024 Larry Mason

Tony Kanaan a.k.a “TK” loves being at the race track. Here he’s sporting a baseball cap with a tribute to his dear late friend, Gil de Ferran.

Still training every day, TK keeps himself in excellent physical condition.

After trying for many years, TK finally won the Indianapolis 500 and here he proudly shows off his tattoo of the yard of bricks and the Borg-Warner trophy.


Johnny Rutherford’s Indy winning and beautifully resplendent 1974 McLaren 16 C/D would be TK’s “mobile office” for part of the weekend.

Johnny Rutherford and crew celebrate at the 1974 Indy 500 in the same car that TK would drive at Long Beach 50 years later.
(photo courtesy of McLaren Racing)

Do you think TK is happy to be sitting in this Indy winning McLaren and getting ready to go out on track? His smile says it all!

Like a true professional, TK studies the cockpit gauges before he goes out on track. Old school analog gauges are nothing like today’s Indy cars. Notice the family touches on his helmet for his wife and kids.

Here TK is hustling this fantastic 1974 McLaren M16 through the tricky Turn 10 of Long Beach’s famed circuit.

(photo courtesy of McLaren Racing)

A rolling piece of Indy 500 history is driven through the world-famous Turn 11 hairpin by “500” winner himself, Tony Kanaan. Notice that his helmet design is mainly the same as throughout his career, only the colors and sponsors have changed in this side look.

(Image Credit: Edmund Jenks – Motorsports Journal (2024))

Interview and photos Copyright © by Larry Mason (unless otherwise noted)