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IndyCar: Four possible landing spots for Tony Kanaan in 2018

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 28: Tony Kanaan of Brazil, driver of the #10 NTT Data Honda, leads a pack of cars during the 101st Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 28, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 28: Tony Kanaan of Brazil, driver of the #10 NTT Data Honda, leads a pack of cars during the 101st Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 28, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Mikhail Aleshin, driver of the #7 SMP Racing Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Mikhail Aleshin, driver of the #7 SMP Racing Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Honda

As far as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports goes, there is literally nothing we know aside of the fact that virtually everything surrounding this team is unknown for next season. We also know that Tony Kanaan could factor into the equation to say the very least. But will he?

We know that the #7 Honda does not have a confirmed driver thanks to the departure of Mikhail Aleshin, but we do not know who that driver will be. We also do not know for sure if James Hinchcliffe will end up returning to the seat of the #5 Honda. After all, he is IndyCar’s top free agent this offseason, so he is going to have plenty of good opportunities with good teams to choose from.

And will Santiago Urrutia possibly move up from Indy Lights to drive for this team? Will the team expand from two full-time drivers to potentially become a three or even a four-car operation? We simply do not know, and I’m not here to try to convince you otherwise.

Assuming James Hinchcliffe stays, Tony Kanaan coming to Schmidt Peterson Motorsports would make a lot of sense. Both of those drivers are currently in the top 10 in the championship standings, so the team would definitely have their presence felt more so than they do now with just Hinchcliffe racing full-time along with different replacement drivers driving the #7 car that was once driven full-time by Mikhail Aleshin.

Plus, Kanaan certainly would not be playing second-fiddle (or third-fiddle) to James Hinchcliffe like he is to four-time series champion Scott Dixon right now at Chip Ganassi Racing. Also, a Hinchcliffe-Kanaan pairing would also be “adorable” to say the very least, especially when the series makes their annual trip to Texas next June…

Even if Hinchcliffe leaves for another team, Kanaan could still end up with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. If that ended up happening, he would, in all likelihood, end up being the team’s top driver, something he hasn’t been since he was the lone driver for KV Racing back in 2013. Did I mention he won the Indy 500 that year?