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INDIANAPOLIS — It is hard to understand the immense popularity of Indianapolis 500 driver Agustín Canapino back home in Argentina until you consider this: Five years ago, while racing in one of his nation’s touring car series, he was voted the country’s top athlete.
Not soccer superstar Lionel Messi or tennis great Juan Martin del Potro.
The 33-year-old pride of Arrecifes, an inland town of about 25,000 that also produced Formula One drivers Jose Frilan Gonzalez and Norberto Edgardo Fontana, has won more than 100 races and 15 titles in various domestic series. Canapino’s name is often in the news, his social media following is massive and “Agustín” has become a trendy name for newborn babies.
“It’s not like I’m Messi, of course. Soccer is the most important sport in my country,” Canapino told The Associated Press on a quiet Tuesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he was participating in some of the traditional rookie events such as ducking under a 2,000-pound dairy cow, grabbing ahold of an utter and taking a tug.
As fellow rookies RC Enerson and Sting Ray Robb found out, milking a cow is harder than it looks.
“But motorsports,” Canapino continued, “it is really, really important in Argentina. We have a lot of fans, and yes, I have a lot of fans, too. People have some tattoos with my name, and they name my name their children. It makes me very proud.”
Imagine how proud they would be if he wins the Indy 500 on Sunday.
It won’t be an easy task. Canapino drives for one of the smallest teams, Juncos Hollinger Racing, which struggled to find speed last week. His teammate, Callum Ilott, even had to switch chassis the day before qualifying because he felt “unsafe” in the car, though both drivers posted quick enough times Saturday to avoid the stress of bump day.
Yet simply making the 33-car grid for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” constitutes a win.
Canapino thought his career would begin and end driving stock cars in Argentina, albeit with a foray into sports cars at the 24 Hours of Daytona. But late last year, Argentine team owner Ricar do Juncos arranged for an exhibition in Buenos Aires and called Canapino to see if he would be willing to handle the driving duties.