Photo Credit: LAT Photography
After being out of the top-10 in speeds during practices sessions, Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, qualified fourth for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
“We made big improvement from the first session this morning and from first, qualifying run,” he said. “I think was a little bit messy at the end there, but that’s what happens if you decided to go late; you pay the price. We went earlier to guarantee a lot. I was on blacks. Obviously I wasn’t – Helio (Castroneves), I think, did the right think. He’s kept doing that for a few races now, and it finally worked for him. I think it was more on his side to do it.”
Even with the better qualifying effort than how it felt during practice, he still feels there could be more changes made to the car prior to the race to be even stronger.
“We’ve got a few things to change in the car still,” he said. “I think we’re not the way we wanted it to be yet, but it’s a good position to start.”
Helio Castroneves, driver of the No.3 Team Penske Auto Club of Southern California claimed the pole for Sunday’s race. It’s no surprise to fans, or fellow competitors as Castroneves has done so over 40 times previously.
“It’s was always his strength, since we were like eight years old racing go-karts,” Kanaan said. “The guy is always – to pit that perfect lap together, I think he was one of the toughest guys I’ve seen doing it. He’s here so I ‘m not going to talk more about it, otherwise he’s going to be like, well, you know. So that’s all I’m going to say. “But yeah he’s definitely – he know how to do it for sure .”
It was an all Chevrolet fast six as the top Honda in qualifying was the No. 5 Arrow Electronics driven by James Hinchcliffe in seventh.
“I mean, I think it comes down to qualifying,” the Brazilian said. Nowadays it’s so close, it’ going to depend on so many things that have to happen right and at the end. I think we were able to pit a better lap than those guys. “I think it was a lot of noise around so many things that we are doing right instead of them right instead of them looking at what they are doing wrong. I think Graham (Rahal) looked pretty strong. “I think Munoz looked pretty strong. But it came down to fast – the fast 12, I think it comes down to one lap sometimes. You never know, sometimes somebody makes a mistake. I don’t know if that’s a coincidence, but we just did a better job.”
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will run on Sunday April 17th.
