Tony Kanaan set the second fastest two-lap time during qualifying at the Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, and then praised his team for making accurate car changes after a change of conditions ahead of the session.
Kanaan was the leading Chip Ganassi Racing driver in the session, with team-mates Charlie Kimball, Scott Dixon and Max Chilton fourth, sixth and eighth respectively.
Former series champion Kanaan will start alongside countryman Helio Castroneves on Saturday under the lights at Phoenix, and is confident of a good result around the first oval of the season having previously won this event from this position before in his career.
“It was pretty good, and the conditions changed a lot since this morning, so it was a little tricky to make a decision in what to do with the car,” said Kanaan.
“But I think big props to Chevy and Pratt & Miller on their accurate data because we made some changes in the car. It was totally blind, just according to the numbers they gave us, and it was spot on.
“Obviously it wasn’t quite enough to get the pole, but I won here from second place before, so we’ll try tomorrow.”
