Kanaan captures IRL season title

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2004

FONTANA, United States (AFP) — Tony Kanaan's second-place finish in the Indy 400 was enough to give the Andretti Green driver an insurmountable points lead and the 2004 Indy Racing League title.

With one race left in the IRL season, Kanaan, of Brazil, has a commanding 80-point lead over teammate Dan Wheldon, who finished third on Sunday.

Mexico's Adrian Fernandez edged Kanaan to win the race but it wasn't enough to knock Kanaan off his perch.

Sam Hornish, a two-time champion here, was fourth in a Dallara/Toyota, followed by Buddy Rice's G Force/Honda.

Kanaan was leading Fernandez in a wheel-to-wheel battle with six laps left before Tomas Enge spun and was struck by Tomas Scheckter to bring out the caution flag at California Speedway.

When the...