How Tony Kanaan's IndyCar Future Hinges on Jimmie Johnson's Indy 500 Decision

Photo credit: Dylan Buell/SRX - Getty Images
Photo credit: Dylan Buell/SRX - Getty Images
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  • While many of his fans would like to see Jimmie Johnson go full-out for a championship run, there’s also the possibility that he’ll once again run only a partial schedule like he did in 2021.

  • If Johnson decides once again to forego ovals, Tony Kanaan would replace him in those races in the No. 48, just like he did this past season.

  • If Johnson does decide to run the full schedule, team owner Chip Ganassi has assured Kanaan that he’ll still run all five oval races.


Time supposedly waits for no man, but in a sense, it’s waiting for both Jimmie Johnson and Tony Kanaan.

Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion, still has not revealed his plans for 2022, which will be his second season in IndyCar competition.

While many of his fans would like to see Johnson go full-out for a championship run, there’s also the possibility that he’ll once again run only a partial schedule like he did in 2021, that would likely include just 12 of the planned 17 events. If that is the case, just like he did in 2021, Johnson would likely not run any oval events next season (five are scheduled, up from four this past season).

That kind of leaves Kanaan in limbo, but he’s not fretting. He’s prepared to help out Chip Ganassi Racing in any way he can. If Johnson decides once again to forego ovals, Kanaan would replace him in those races in the No. 48, just like he did this past season.

But if Johnson does decide to run the full schedule, Ganassi has assured Kanaan that he’ll still run all five oval races in a separate car different from Johnson’s.

Autoweek checked with CGR Monday morning to see if there is an update on Johnson’s status for 2022 and was told “at this time we don’t have anything to announce.”

Given that the start of the 2022 season is now less than three months away (first race is Feb. 27 at St. Petersburg, Florida), one must wonder how much longer Johnson will go before he decides yay or nay to a full 17-race dance card next season.

Photo credit: Stacy Revere - Getty Images
Photo credit: Stacy Revere - Getty Images

Johnson and Romain Grosjean both passed their rookie orientation and test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway back on October 5, making them eligible to drive in the 106th Indianapolis 500 on May 29, 2022. Grosjean has already committed to a full-time schedule next season and will drive for Andretti Autosport.

So, Kanaan waits to find out as Jimmie will go, so he will too.

“I mean, so far, the way it's set, if he does that (run full-time), we’re still going to run a car for me on the ovals and that’s pretty much it, just the ovals,” Kanaan told Autoweek. “I will never do a full season again. I think that was a decision that I made before even I went to race for Chip this past year. I did that with Foyt (A.J. Foyt Racing) the year before that (ran just six races in 2020).

“So I think if Jimmie decides to do a full season, which I hope he does, we'll just run a fifth car. Ganassi has plenty of means to do that. So I'm not concerned.”

Kanaan ran in only four races – all ovals – in 2021, with decent performance. He earned a season-best start (fifth) and finish (10th) in the Indianapolis 500. He also was 11th and 15th in the weekend doubleheader at Texas Motor Speedway and 13th at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway near St. Louis. All four starts were in Johnson’s No. 48.

Photo credit: Stacy Revere - Getty Images
Photo credit: Stacy Revere - Getty Images

In the 12 road and street course races that Johnson competed in this past season, Kanaan served as both a mentor and instructor to Johnson, as did several other CGR greats including four-time IndyCar champ and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, along with teammate and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.

“I mean, it was different, for sure,” Kanaan said of his role to Autoweek. “It was something that I had to adjust to a little bit. I would say because of COVID, it kind of was easier for me, because it was such a hectic season prior to that (his six-race season with Foyt in 2020).

“But then the deal with Jimmie was awesome because I had something to look forward to, apart from driving the car: being around him, being at the track, I went to give him some feedback, talking to him regularly on the phone, talking to him before and after the races, what's going to happen, what's been happening and this and that. It was a different role that I enjoyed a lot.

“Cheering for him, it was awesome, because we would say, ‘it's our car, it’s our car, the 48.’ So, it was cool. I think when you have your mind set to that's what you were doing, you’re not like ‘do you miss it’ or ‘do you feel sad about it?’ No, I was really okay with it. It was fun.”

Here’s an ironic twist: Johnson finished 26th in the series in his rookie season, competing in 12 races. Kanaan made just four starts and finished a close 28thin the standings.

Photo credit: Robert Laberge - Getty Images
Photo credit: Robert Laberge - Getty Images

The 2022 season will be Kanaan’s 24th in IndyCar racing. He hopes to get through that campaign and then compete for one final season in 2023 before he would retire from racing. Going into the upcoming season, Kanaan, who turns 47 on New Year’s Eve, will continue to be the oldest active driver on the IndyCar circuit.

If he reaches 2023 and then calls it quits, he will do so at 48 years old.

“I would like to be to do 25 years in IndyCar, which that leads me to 2023,” Kanaan said. “That’ll be the silver year. I’ll be 47 at the end of this year. If you asked me, I’d like to run until I’m 50, but I think I would say 2023 will be a good goal.”

Reaching 25 years is important to Kanaan.

“One hundred percent,” he said. “A lot of people that I admire, the old timers, have done it. So I would like to be in that group.”

But Kanaan is also kind of torn in a sense. He watched his best IndyCar buddy, Helio Castroneves, win his fourth Indy 500 this past May, less than three weeks after turning 46 years old, and made the first of what would only be six starts for Meyer Shank Racing (Castroneves will drive a full-time schedule in 2022).

Kanaan started fifth on the grid for the 2021 Indy 500 while Helio was right behind in eighth spot. Not only was Kanaan happy for what his good friend accomplished, it also gave Kanaan some inspiration that he could do so, as well.

“One hundred percent,” he said. “Obviously, we did so well (finished 10th). We started in the second row, and then we got caught by the yellow flag (late in the race), but we were in the mix. Helio and I were there. So, to me, it gives me obviously a lot of hope. And, you know, obviously, he's going for five wins next year. I'll try to go for two.”

Photo credit: Robert Reiners - Getty Images
Photo credit: Robert Reiners - Getty Images

Both Castroneves and Kanaan came into Indy car racing in the old CART Series back in 1998. They bonded quickly and have been tight ever since.

That bond also presented a unique perspective for Kanaan.

“When Helio and I came into the series, and then you see a guy like Josef (Newgarden), I mean, you saw one guy, two guys max come in a season and really did well, like when Helio and I were both rookies.

“This year, we saw five young guys impress (champion Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta, Felix Rosenqvist and Romain Grosjean). It was like, ‘wow, that hasn't happened in a long time.’ So I think the quality is as good as it was in the past.

“But you will look back and say, ‘Okay, well, this single guy did this, or these two guys did that.’ Now you're going to look like it's five guys. Then again, it was going to get to that point, because, I think it was very odd what happened in the past 15 years that we kept it at such a high level was, we started so young that we had so many years left that the recycling, it wasn't that much. And I kept winning, Helio kept winning and Dixon kept winning, and were still so young together. And we're still young, so it was not giving anybody room (to replace them in the series).

“Now, you're talking about 15 years later, you go, ‘Okay, well, now it's time’ and then you see this. But I think you're going to see the same thing now. We'll be talking hopefully 15 years from now, it’ll be the same thing, look how long Pato (O’Ward) or (Alex) Palou is here and they're not giving chances, quote, unquote, to the other kids.”

Follow Autoweek correspondent Jerry Bonkowski on Twitter @JerryBonkowski