Kanaan: AGR were always first choice

Kanaan signed a five-year deal to remain with Andretti Green Racing through the 2013 season, rejecting an 11th-hour offer from Chip Ganassi to remain with a team that has at times appeared to be in turmoil.

"Despite all the problems we've had, I didn't want to jump ship when it's sinking - or when people think it's sinking," Kanaan said Friday after a press conference announcing the new contract.

The signing, which took place Thursday night in Kanaan's motorhome in the infield at Kentucky Speedway, ended a month-long courtship between Kanaan and other IndyCar Series teams. Namely, though, it abruptly ended a plan by Ganassi to hire Kanaan away from AGR.

"To be honest, it wasn't just one team that contacted me," Kanaan said. "There has been this big buzz about one guy, but if people had looked around, there were more people who tried to contact me.

"There were a few contacts, which made me feel flattered. I never had my mind made up (to go elsewhere) until I had closed out all the options (at AGR)."

News that Kanaan re-upped with his current team apparently angered Ganassi, who told speedtv.com Thursday night that he thought he had a deal with Kanaan.

"It's unbelievable," Ganassi said. "I talked to him on Wednesday night and he said we were fine, we were great and we're a go.

"Then I get a call from his agent who says Tony has flipped and he's staying with AGR. He said something about Tony not liking one of the clauses in the contract, but I didn't change anything."

Kanaan indicated he didn't have a formal agent working on the offers, but instead had someone acting as an agent on his behalf who fielded the calls from potential suitors.

"I didn't want to hear about it," Kanaan said. "I didn't want it to influence my deal. Until I couldn't reach an agreement (with AGR), I was not going to listen to anybody else.

"First of all, I appreciate the respect they have for me. Second of all, I had a handshake, which means a lot to me. I knew these guys were committed. That's why I disappeared for three days to concentrate on it.

"It's a five-year deal. It has a lot of pages. I wanted to read everything carefully and come back to those guys and say, 'OK, let's sign.'"

Kanaan said AGR adjusted several non-financial clauses to his satisfaction before he signed it.

"There were a couple of things that I had doubts about," Kanaan said. "I had to ask before I signed. It wasn't a case of 'if you don't do that, I'm not going to sign.' It was more a case of 'can we do this?' or 'can we do that?' It was the formality of it."

AGR made their initial offer to Kanaan two months ago at Milwaukee, and Kanaan indicated a few weeks later that he expected to sign it.

However, the news of Ganassi's recent interest apparently motivated AGR co-owners Michael Andretti, Kim Green and Kevin Savoree to alter the clauses in question and get Kanaan's signature.

"It was nice to get that finished and put an end to all the rumors," Andretti said Friday during a press conference at Kentucky Speedway.

"Tony is what we consider a franchise player and one of the foundations of the team. He's part of the family. There was never any question that Tony was going to be with us for a long, long time."

But apparently Kanaan wasn't so sure. Ganassi's offer reportedly was close financially to that of AGR, but Kanaan changed his mind when AGR officials changed the clauses in question.

"It wasn't financial," Kanaan said. "It was more about minor things that had to be addressed. I wanted them in a different way. There were two clauses - one was their way, the other was mine. Then the deal was done."

Kanaan also indicated he might consider a non-driving role at the end of the contract, but wouldn't say that 2013 would mark his final season behind the wheel.

"I'm not saying I'll retire from racing, but maybe from Indy cars," he said. "I don't want to contradict myself. I would leave it open and say maybe."