Tony Kanaan will rejoin Chip Ganassi Racing on the ovals in the team’s No. 48 NTT IndyCar Series entry as part of a multi-year deal, CGR announced Monday (Nov. 23). For 2021, this will result in a four-race schedule (the Texas doubleheader, the Indianapolis 500 and Gateway).
Kanaan, who competed for CGR full-time from 2014-2017, will share the ride with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. NTT DATA and Bryant will come aboard as primary and associate sponsors on the No. 48 car and other CGR entries.
The Brazilian ran six races in 2020 for A.J. Foyt Racing, with his season’s best of ninth coming at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
“It’s hard to express in words how excited I am about this announcement,” Kanaan said in a release. “When Chip [Ganassi] and I first started to talk about the opportunity to drive the ovals and share the No. 48 with Jimmie Johnson, I couldn’t imagine that we would reach an agreement this fast. Chip Ganassi Racing is at the pinnacle of motorsports in North America and being able to be part of the program once again with such great drivers in their lineup is a dream come true. I’ve also been very fortunate to enjoy great relationships with my sponsors throughout my career and having companies like Bryant and NTT DATA supporting me once again is a testament to that. Both Bryant and NTT DATA have been with me through different teams, wins and even life events. Being able to continue to represent these companies is truly an honor.”
Kanaan has 16 wins and 72 podium finishes in 290 starts in his INDYCAR career. His most recent victory, the 2014 MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway, came with CGR.
Kanaan joins Johnson, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson and Alex Palou in the CGR stable.
He’s also set to take part in the SRX Racing Series next summer.
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.