Michael Cannon is a protege-turned-mentor, a person you may usher in as an overseer and advisor for younger race engineers, or could be slotted right into a hands-on race engineer position. He could be strict however can also be regarded in IndyCar circles as one of many extra empathetic people within the position, keen to present the motive force what they need somewhat than refusing to budge from what on paper seems the quickest set-up.
It’s assumed that Cannon obtained hooked on racing by watching his British-born father John Cannon race (beneath the Canadian flag) to victory after victory within the Formulation 5000 Continental Sequence, culminating in turning into 1970 champion, or when successful the 1968 Can-Am race at Laguna Seca. But Cannon insists not.
He recollects: “From once I noticed the F5000 finale in 1970 and noticed my dad choose up the trophy and cheque, I didn’t go to a different race till the 1975 F5000 occasion at Watkins Glen, after which not once more till the Formulation 1 race at Montreal in 1978. In between occasions, I used to be making an attempt to be a pilot, aiming to go to RAF Cranwell, similar to dad.
“In 1983, Jerry Agapiou – he and his brother had run my dad in F5000 and Can-Am – gave me a summer time job placing collectively a Formulation Ford crew. Driving one of many vehicles was a part of my compensation.”
That dream of being a racing driver had died by 1986, and Cannon discovered he loved “tinkering with race vehicles” as a lot as driving them.
“I don’t assume the trail I took exists anymore,” he says. “You want a proper training. I’m studying Adrian Newey’s guide for the time being and I used to be struck by the parallels, however the large distinction was that he did finally end faculty whereas I obtained distracted by desirous to be a driver and obtained into it that method.”
He discovered the ropes as a mechanic in Formulation Ford, Atlantic, Tremendous Vee and Indy Lights, earlier than turning into an early information acquisition engineer within the mid-’80s. By way of the ’90s, Cannon was one of many founders of Genoa Racing in Atlantic, which despatched Jimmy Vasser and Greg Ray on to profitable careers on the high degree. In Indy Lights he ran Dave DeSilva and the “vastly underrated” Mark Hotchkis.
Becoming a member of Forsythe Racing for 1997 was the transfer that Cannon’s abilities deserved. As quantity two to Lee Dykstra, they ran David Empringham and Lee Bentham. Quickly he graduated to Forsythe’s Indycar crew.
Cannon ran rookie Ed Jones to a outstanding Indy 500 third place in 2017 for Dale Coyne Racing
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
“I’m so fortunate,” says 61-year-old Cannon modestly. “I’ve had the prospect to work with Lee Dykstra, Bruce Ashmore, Tony Cicale, Chris Simmons, Craig Hampson, Olivier Boisson… large mentors.”
Stating that a few of these talked about are very a lot his juniors, he responds that age doesn’t outline mentorship roles: “When you’re sensible, you be taught from all of them, you seize their insights and information and add it to your personal.”
Cannon stayed at Forsythe for a number of years both facet of a stint at Herdez till the top of 2006, then rejoined the previous Herdez/HVM crew following its Minardi Group USA rebrand to run rookie Robert Doornbos in a powerful 2007 marketing campaign.
Spells at Ed Carpenter Racing, Andretti Autosport and Dale Coyne Racing adopted, but it wasn’t till 2020 that Cannon, newly arrived at Chip Ganassi Racing, engineered a driver to an IndyCar title. That man was Scott Dixon, and Cannon was massively impressed with each the six-time champ and the entire Ganassi operation.
However after three seasons – together with three miserable near-misses on the 500 – he elected to depart. Now the lead engineer at AJ Foyt Racing, he’s decided to ship the legendary crew again up the grid.
High suggestions for engineers from Michael Cannon
- You have to work with a star driver, an actual expertise, otherwise you aren’t going to see the advantage of your efforts, particularly in a spec collection.
- Assist to construct up a powerful crew, supporting those who might help take your good concepts
and switch them into actuality. - Bury your ego and embrace the subsequent era. They arrive out of faculty so vibrant, all they lack is expertise. You may’t afford to stagnate, so take heed to them.
Quite a few drivers within the discipline for this weekend’s Indy 500 have benefitted from Cannon’s knowledge down the years – together with the farewelling Kanaan
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
