Following last week’s unveil at Long Beach of special throwback liveries for the three full-time entries, to be raced by Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi, the colorscheme for Kanaan’s Chevrolet-powered entry sponsored by SmartStop has been released.
The #66 car’s black and papaya bodywork includes a papaya star surrounding the seat and three black stars along the left rear wing. These elements are a nod to McLaren Racing’s historic Triple Crown achievement, having won the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The livery series forms a part of McLaren’s 60th birthday celebrations through 2023, honoring iconic moments throughout its history and the legacy built by team founder Bruce McLaren.
Kanaan announced in February that this year’s 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be his last race in the NTT IndyCar Series. It will be his 22nd career start at the Indy 500. He won the 97th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 2013 and has finished in the top three on four other occasions, including a third place for Chip Ganassi Racing last May.
The Brazilian veteran, who also won the 2004 IRL IndyCar championship, said: “I’ve been eager to see this livery, and it does not disappoint. It’s one of the best-looking cars I’ve ever been in and representing the history of the Triple Crown makes it even more special.
“I’m so grateful to have SmartStop [a storage unit company] and my long-time partners 7-Eleven and NTT DATA along for this ride, and I’m excited to finally take this car out on the track starting tomorrow at the Open Test.”
Michael Schwartz, chairman and CEO of SmartStop, said: "We are thrilled to be a part of Arrow McLaren's Triple Crown celebration and to sponsor the #66 SmartStop Arrow McLaren Chevrolet at the Indianapolis 500 with racing legend Tony Kanaan behind the wheel.
“SmartStop Self Storage is committed to supporting excellence, and Tony and the Arrow McLaren team exemplify the drive and determination needed to succeed at the highest level. We can't wait to see what they will accomplish together on the track, and we are honored to be a part of this historic event."
