IndyCar: Four possible landing spots for Tony Kanaan in 2018

By Asher Fair | Sep 2, 2017

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: Takuma Sato, driver of the #26 Andretti Autosport Honda (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)

FORT WORTH, TX – JUNE 09: Takuma Sato, driver of the #26 Andretti Autosport Honda (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images) /

Andretti Autosport, Honda

Tony Kanaan began racing full-time in modern-day IndyCar back in the 2003 season for Andretti Green Racing. In fact, he won the championship driving for the team in 2004. When the team became Andretti Autosport in the 2010 season, he stayed, but after that, he left for KV Racing, where he drove for three seasons. He won his first career Indianapolis 500 with the team in 2013, which was his final season with the team.

While he has only been a real threat to win on the superspeedways this season in his fourth season with Chip Ganassi Racing, with his three top 5 finishes in 2017 coming at the three superspeedway races, he has still been somewhat solid at other venues.

In fact, he currently sits in 9th place in the championship standings. If he is able to finish there or higher, that would give him 14 finishes of 9th place or higher in the standings in his 15 full-time seasons, which is extremely solid and as well as consistent.

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Andretti Autosport is a team that hasn’t won a non-Indianapolis 500 race since Pocono in 2015. In fact, the team’s last win on a non-superspeedway was at Iowa in 2015, with their last win on a road or street course coming at a shortened Belle Isle race in 2015.

The team also took the victory in a shortened Barber race in 2014. However, their last full-length race win on a road or street course came at–get this–Sao Paulo way back in 2013. That was even before Kanaan won his Indy 500.

The fact that Kanaan is still an elite superspeedway driver could be the key to him reuniting with Andretti Autosport. Also, in eight seasons driving for Andretti, he finished no lower than 6th place in the standings. And given the team’s extreme success on superspeedways recently, particularly at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Indy 500, Kanaan could be a perfect fit, even at age 42.

Next: IndyCar driver power rankings

Where do you think Tony Kanaan will end up in the 2018 IndyCar season? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it. Also be sure to follow Beyond the Flag on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.