LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 14, 2011 – KV Racing Technology – Lotus driver Tony Kanaan captured the pole for Sunday’s 2011 season ending IZOD IndyCar World Championships on the 1.5-mile D-shaped Las Vegas Speedway oval in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Teammate Takuma Sato qualified 16th while E. J. Viso was penalized and will start 31st.

Kanaan, No. 82 GEICO – KV Racing Technology – Lotus qualified with a two-lap average speed of 222.078 mph.  This was the 15th pole of Kanaan’s 14 year career and 11th in the IndyCar Series.  It is his first earned pole since June 27, 2008 at Richmond International Raceway.  Kanaan sat on the pole earlier this year in Texas No. 2, but that was by virtue of a draw.

“It feels awesome,” Kanaan said. “It has been awhile.  I guess I’ve got to do more Ironmans on my weekends off.  I’m extremely happy.  I can’t thank the GEICO – KV – Lotus guys enough.  We had such an awful race at Kentucky that we needed to turn it around.  They went back to the shop to massage that car as much as they could and it paid off.”

Today’s pole is the third for KVRT – Lotus this season (fourth including Texas No. 2) and fifth in team history not counting Will Power’s pole at the Surfers Paradise exhibition race in 2008.