Simonsen replaces Kanaan in Gold Coast

Allan Simonsen is going to replace Tony Kanaan for the Armor All Gold Coast 600. Kanaan has withdrawn from the race due to the death of fellow Indycar Series driver Dan Wheldon.
“Any fatal crash is absolutely devastating. I raced European karts against Dan; it’s just so sad and a very difficult situation for everyone. There are a lot of people who have been affected by this,” said Simonsen.

Simonsen recently took part in the Bathurst 1000 race with Greg Murphy, finishing third overall.

“I was extremely excited about working with Tony Kanaan but I think we’ve got a great replacement in Allan Simonsen. He did a fantastic job with Murph to finish third at Bathurst and I’m sure his style and personality will fit in perfectly at BJR,” said Brad Jones, Jana Living Racing co-owner.

Kanaan was supposed to share car with Jason Bargwanna in the Jana Living Racing team.

“I read the news about Dan Wheldon on the internet this morning after getting a call from my son. I couldn’t believe the accident. I knew that he and Tony were quite close after they drove together at Andretti. His mentor, Steve Horne, called me to say Tony needed time to grieve this morning and I totally understand that. I’ve lost people close to me and, whether expected or unexpected, it’s a terrible thing. V8 Supercars is working hard with the teams to find a solution because a lot of teams have found themselves in this situation. It’s very, very unfortunate,” said Jones.