ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – INDYCAR’s “Iron Man,” Tony Kanaan, will start his 293rd consecutive race in Sunday’s KOHLER Grand Prix at Road America, the longest streak in Indy car history.

The feat will come 17 years to the day after the run started at Portland International Raceway on June 24, 2001. Kanaan, driving the No. 55 Hollywood-sponsored for Mo Nunn Racing that season in CART competition and a teammate to two-time champion Alex Zanardi, missed the race the week before at Belle Isle in Detroit with a concussion.

Kanaan (shown at left in 2001) was medically cleared to race at Portland, but his return to competition ended not long after it began in wet conditions on the permanent road course.

“Yeah, I was hurt but I was able to get back in the car to race,” Kanaan said. “I didn’t finish a lap as myself and Zanardi were taken out (in a crash also involving Memo Gidley).”

Kanaan qualified 18th on Saturday in the No. 14 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. Sunday’s race will mark the 353rd of his 21-year Indy car career, a total that ranks third on the all-time list behind legends Mario Andretti (407) and A.J. Foyt (369). At this rate, Kanaan would catch Foyt in the middle of next season, but overtaking Andretti would take until sometime in 2021.

When asked about his incredible streak of consecutive races, Kanaan remained appreciative for what he has been able to accomplish in a career that has yielded 17 wins, including the 2013 Indianapolis 500, and the 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series championship.

“It’s awesome, for sure. I’m really humble,” the 43-year-old said. “Looking back, to come this far is pretty nice to still be around.

“Yeah, it’s nice to be called the ‘Iron Man.’ There are guys who are as strong as me physically, but to have the durability in race starts is more suitable to say and I want to keep adding to it. I think by next year I will catch A.J. and then I’ll go after Mario.”

Dario Franchitti, the retired four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, drove against Kanaan as a competitor and with him as a teammate before Franchitti retired in 2013. The admiration remains for his long-time close friend.

“First of all, it means he’s really old,” Franchitti said with a laugh about Kanaan’s consecutive race streak, before turning serious.

“I think to do anything that long with the passion he has is incredible. I think he’s as passionate and even more focused now than he was then.”

Starting from near the rear of the 23-car grid on Sunday, Kanaan knows his work is cut out for him after qualifying.

“I got traffic on my fast lap but it would have just put us in the top 13, not enough to advance,” he said. “The car is understeering all weekend. We tried something overnight that didn’t work, so it put us behind a session and we’re back to the car we had (Friday).

“It was the same car so we were going to do the same lap time as (Friday) when we tried the reds (Firestone alternate tires), but getting traffic didn’t help. But it wasn’t going to change a lot – maybe a few positions, which always helps – but we’ve got a little bit of work to do.”

Live coverage of Sunday’s race from Road America begins at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday on NBCSN and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network.