Tony Kanaan expects Ganassi to carry its recent momentum into the 2015 IndyCar season after he earned his first win for the team in Saturday’s season-finale at Fontana.
Kanaan’s win was the third for Ganassi from the last four races, following on from Scott Dixon’s wins at Mid-Ohio and Sonoma.
A poor start to the year meant that neither driver was in championship contention going into last weekend’s race, but Kanaan said that the team’s recovery bodes well for next year.
“I’m extremely confident,” he said. “I think the team showed the potential when we’re struggling how quick we can turn situations around.
“Next year is a whole new ballgame.We have new aero kits coming up. We have a lot of work to do.
“But it’s really good to end the season on a high note, the whole team spirit is going to be good through the winter.
“We have six months to work out how to win the Indy 500 and the championship.”
Kanaan’s most recent win prior to Saturday night was also a 500-miler – the 2013 Indianapolis 500 – and he said that his Fontana success was the result of following the classic 500-miler rule of making sure you’re in contention in the final stint.
“In the beginning of the race we were running between fifth and seventh, and I was just hanging in there, waiting for 70, 50 laps to go to just make a move,” he said.
“The guys did a great pitstop. When they put me in the lead it was a little earlier than I expected, which was good. And we just went for it.”
