World`s fastest man gives Kanaan a boost

When at top speed, Tony Kanaan can drive 100 meters in less than one second.
Usain Bolt, understandably, is impressed.
The Olympic sprint champion from Jamaica _ the world's fastest man _ sent a pair of spikes to Kanaan as a good-luck token a few weeks ago, and could be in the driver's circle of invited guests at Saturday's IndyCar finale, the Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"We have a common friend and he's from Jamaica, he knows Usain and one day I was talking about how fast that guy was and actually making a joke that I need some of his speed this year," said Kanaan, who hasn't won since Richmond last year and hasn't placed higher than third this season. "Next thing I know, couple days later, he sends me a pair of shoes signed by him."
On the shoes, Bolt scrawled, "TK, just get some speed."
Kanaan keeps the shoes in his office _ they're way too big for him to wear _ and says he counts Bolt in the small group of athletes like Lance Armstrong who were unquestionably the dominant person in their sport.
"He's a step above anybody," Kanaan said.
___
POINTS SHAKEUP: Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe, in some order, will finish 1-2-3 in the seasonlong IRL standings.
Everything else is a crazy tossup.
It's been a wild year points-wise on the IndyCar circuit as it is, with 13 changes atop the standings, not including the season-opener. The jostling hasn't been limited to the top spot, either.
Helio Castroneves is currently fourth; he could wind up as low as eighth. Danica Patrick, currently fifth, will finish somewhere between fourth and 10th. Tony Kanaan is eighth entering Saturday's Indy 300; he could climb as high as fourth if things go right in the finale.
No, it's not the race for the IRL title and $1 million bonus. But there's significant money at stake for finishing fourth and fifth in the yearlong chase as well: $125,000 in bonus money for fourth, $75,000 for fifth and $0 after that.
___
HEAT WOES: It's beyond balmy these days in South Florida, where the mercury is climbing to record high levels for mid-October.
Good for beachgoers, not so good for race car drivers.
"We'll need to be very smart," Helio Castroneves said. "It's very hot and our cars are very sensitive to that. So it'll be interesting."
By 10 a.m. Friday, when the IRL cars were practicing, the combination of 89-degree temperatures Fahrenheit (32 C) and 68 percent humidity made the air feel like it was 102 degrees F (39 C) . And that doesn't even factor in the way heat radiates off the asphalt track or the extra degrees drivers had to be feeling inside the cockpit of their race cars.
"It is hooottttt here," driver Tony Kanaan posted on his Twitter feed after the morning session.
When points leader and reigning IRL champion Scott Dixon pitted during the morning practice for a chat with his crew, they held a large umbrella over his seat, shading him from the blazing sun. One crew member, dressed entirely in black, dumped the contents of an entire water bottle into his cap when practice ended, then slapped the dripping hat atop his head.
"Much cooler inside today," said actor Patrick Dempsey of the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy," who also drives in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
___
DR. McDRIVER: He's "Dr. McDreamy" on TV, but around the track, Patrick Dempsey is starting to feel like just another race car driver.
"Within the paddock, I think I'm getting a lot more respect," Dempsey said. "I'm hopefully earning that."
Dempsey will race in the Rolex season finale Saturday on Homestead's road course. Acting remains his full-time gig, but Dempsey said he's being acknowledged around the track more for his driving and less for his celebrity.
"Given what's going on in the world, with the economy, we're very fortunate to be able to do this," Dempsey said.
___
WELCOME, GRAHAM: Graham Rahal was supposed to begin his IRL career at Homestead last year. Those plans went awry when he crashed during testing a few days before the 2008 season-opener, which he watched from the spotter's stand.
To say he's excited for Saturday is an understatement.
Rahal will start seventh in the points standings, just 15 behind fifth-place Danica Patrick, and could climb all the way to fourth with a win and plenty of help Saturday.
"I think we're very close to breaking through with a win," Rahal said.

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

HOMESTEAD, Florida

2009.11.04 08:47 입력 / 2009.11.04 08:48 수정

When at top speed, Tony Kanaan can drive 100 meters in less than one second. Usain Bolt, understandably, is impressed. The Olympic sprint champion from Jamaica _ the world's fastest man _ sent a pair of spikes to Kanaan as a good-luck token a few weeks ago, and could be in the driver's circle of invited guests at Saturday's IndyCar finale, the Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "We have a common friend and he's from Jamaica, he knows Usain and one day I was talking about how fast that guy was and actually making a joke that I need some of his speed this year," said Kanaan, who hasn't won since Richmond last year and hasn't placed higher than third this season. "Next thing I know, couple days later, he sends me a pair of shoes signed by him." On the shoes, Bolt scrawled, "TK, just get some speed." Kanaan keeps the shoes in his office _ they're way too big for him to wear _ and says he counts Bolt in the small group of athletes like Lance Armstrong who were unquestionably the dominant person in their sport. "He's a step above anybody," Kanaan said. ___ POINTS SHAKEUP: Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe, in some order, will finish 1-2-3 in the seasonlong IRL standings. Everything else is a crazy tossup. It's been a wild year points-wise on the IndyCar circuit as it is, with 13 changes atop the standings, not including the season-opener. The jostling hasn't been limited to the top spot, either. Helio Castroneves is currently fourth; he could wind up as low as eighth. Danica Patrick, currently fifth, will finish somewhere between fourth and 10th. Tony Kanaan is eighth entering Saturday's Indy 300; he could climb as high as fourth if things go right in the finale. No, it's not the race for the IRL title and $1 million bonus. But there's significant money at stake for finishing fourth and fifth in the yearlong chase as well: $125,000 in bonus money for fourth, $75,000 for fifth and $0 after that. ___ HEAT WOES: It's beyond balmy these days in South Florida, where the mercury is climbing to record high levels for mid-October. Good for beachgoers, not so good for race car drivers. "We'll need to be very smart," Helio Castroneves said. "It's very hot and our cars are very sensitive to that. So it'll be interesting." By 10 a.m. Friday, when the IRL cars were practicing, the combination of 89-degree temperatures Fahrenheit (32 C) and 68 percent humidity made the air feel like it was 102 degrees F (39 C) . And that doesn't even factor in the way heat radiates off the asphalt track or the extra degrees drivers had to be feeling inside the cockpit of their race cars. "It is hooottttt here," driver Tony Kanaan posted on his Twitter feed after the morning session. When points leader and reigning IRL champion Scott Dixon pitted during the morning practice for a chat with his crew, they held a large umbrella over his seat, shading him from the blazing sun. One crew member, dressed entirely in black, dumped the contents of an entire water bottle into his cap when practice ended, then slapped the dripping hat atop his head. "Much cooler inside today," said actor Patrick Dempsey of the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy," who also drives in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. ___ DR. McDRIVER: He's "Dr. McDreamy" on TV, but around the track, Patrick Dempsey is starting to feel like just another race car driver. "Within the paddock, I think I'm getting a lot more respect," Dempsey said. "I'm hopefully earning that." Dempsey will race in the Rolex season finale Saturday on Homestead's road course. Acting remains his full-time gig, but Dempsey said he's being acknowledged around the track more for his driving and less for his celebrity. "Given what's going on in the world, with the economy, we're very fortunate to be able to do this," Dempsey said. ___ WELCOME, GRAHAM: Graham Rahal was supposed to begin his IRL career at Homestead last year. Those plans went awry when he crashed during testing a few days before the 2008 season-opener, which he watched from the spotter's stand. To say he's excited for Saturday is an understatement. Rahal will start seventh in the points standings, just 15 behind fifth-place Danica Patrick, and could climb all the way to fourth with a win and plenty of help Saturday. "I think we're very close to breaking through with a win," Rahal said. By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer HOMESTEAD, Florida

AP 인기기사

AP Hot Clip

원문 뉴스

조인스존