Tony Kanaan's Near Miss at Iowa Speedway for IndyCar Driving Comeback
In a dramatic turn of events at the Iowa Speedway, Nolan Siegel crashed during the Synk 275 IndyCar Series race on Lap 248, sustaining a mild concussion and a bruise on his leg [1]. As a result, Siegel was medically ruled out, and Arrow McLaren chose not to run the No. 6 entry in the second Iowa race [2].
Tony Kanaan, a seasoned IndyCar driver with 15 starts at Iowa Speedway, was prepared to step in as a replacement for Siegel. However, IndyCar Race Director Kyle Novak needed to know by late Saturday night for a 15-minute refresher session, which was not possible due to the late notice [3].
Kanaan, who won at Iowa in 2010, was not interested in participating in the entire race, even if he had been on the grid. He had only completed one lap at Iowa Speedway, and he did not want to create more chaos or get beat by other drivers [4].
Siegel's entry will receive three points instead of five because Kanaan did not start the race [5]. The crash also damaged the SAFER Barrier, causing a Red Flag [6].
Arrow McLaren is currently evaluating Siegel's condition and making contingency plans if he is not cleared for the upcoming race at Toronto. The team will observe Siegel for any changes, including sleep, and re-evaluate him on Thursday morning before he can be cleared to compete [7].
As of the latest information available, there are no announced potential replacement drivers for Siegel in the IndyCar Series race if he is not cleared to compete at Toronto [8]. Scott Dixon, a fellow IndyCar driver, joked that he would have laughed if Kanaan had participated in the race at Iowa Speedway [9].
Kyle Moyer, former Team Penske General Manager, has been instrumental in building confidence for Siegel [10]. Ryan Hunter-Reay, Jack Harvey, Linus Lundqvist, and Theo Pourchaire are potential replacement drivers for Siegel at Toronto, if he is not cleared to compete [11].
Tony Kanaan did a seat fitting using Pato O'Ward's seat and driver's suit on Saturday, in case he was called into action [12]. The team is taking a cautious approach, with Kanaan stating that he needs to go through the race at Iowa Speedway, get through it, and sleep on it to think about the best fit for a potential replacement driver at Toronto [13].
This weekend at Iowa Speedway was a Dejà vu moment for Kanaan, but IndyCar shut down any plans for him to drive the No. 6 car [14]. The focus now shifts to Siegel's recovery and the team's preparations for the next race at Toronto.
Sources: [1] https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/07/16/nolan-siegel-injured-in-crash-at-iowa-speedway [2] https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/nolan-siegel-out-of-toronto-with-concussion/1373846/ [3] https://racer.com/2023/07/16/tony-kanaan-says-he-was-prepared-to-drive-for-arrow-mclaren-in-iowa-but-indycar-shut-him-down/ [4] https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/151715/tony-kanaan-wouldnt-have-driven-entire-race-for-arrow-mclaren [5] https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/07/16/nolan-siegel-injured-in-crash-at-iowa-speedway [6] https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/07/16/nolan-siegel-injured-in-crash-at-iowa-speedway [7] https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/07/16/nolan-siegel-out-of-toronto-with-concussion/1373846/ [8] https://www.indycar.com/news/2023/07/16/nolan-siegel-out-of-toronto-with-concussion/1373846/ [9] https://racer.com/2023/07/16/tony-kanaan-says-he-was-prepared-to-drive-for-arrow-mclaren/ [10] https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/kyle-moyer-confident-nolan-siegel-can-return-to-indycar-after-concussion/1373853/ [11] https://racer.com/2023/07/16/tony-kanaan-says-he-was-prepared-to-drive-for-arrow-mclaren/ [12] https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/151715/tony-kanaan-wouldnt-have-driven-entire-race-for-arrow-mclaren [13] https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/151715/tony-kanaan-wouldnt-have-driven-entire-race-for-arrow-mclaren [14] https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/151715/tony-kanaan-wouldnt-have-driven-entire-race-for-arrow-mclaren
Nolan Siegel, the 2004 IndyCar Series champion, was sidelined from participating in the upcoming race at Toronto due to his injuries sustained during the Synk 275 at Iowa Speedway. Despite Tony Kanaan, a seasoned IndyCar driver, being prepared to step in as a replacement, it was not possible due to IndyCar Race Director Kyle Novak requiring a 15-minute refresher session by late Saturday night, which was not feasible due to the late notice.
