INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Kanaan’s emotional Indy journey has come to an end in Sunday’s 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500. The popular Brazilian driver came to the United States with friend Helio Castroneves. He leaves his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career, battling Castroneves on the final lap.

Literally.

Castroneves and Kanaan had an intense on track fight for position not only the final lap of Sunday’s Greatest Spectacle in Racing, but for the final lap of Kanaan’s INDYCAR driving career. While it wasn’t for the win in what would have been made for a Hollywood script, it was for 15th.

Castroneves prevailed. The four-time Indy 500 champion finished 15th. Kanaan in 16th.

“I told the guys before we started, right, it was either going to be a win or anything apart from the win we were going to celebrate regardless,” Kanaan said.

“I think I would do a disgrace to almost 400,000 people that were there that made me feel the way they did to say I’m sad. I had a laugh. Helio and I battling for 15th and 16th on the last lap like we’re going for the lead. It was like, who’s playing pranks with us.

“That’s what’s ironic. We started it in ’87, and the last lap of the race we’re actually battling — my last race in INDYCAR and we’re battling like it was for the lead.

“But I wouldn’t have it any different, neither to him.

“We both went side by side on the backstretch after the checker and we saluted with each other, and I just told him actually I dropped a tear because of that, and he said, I did, too.

“It was a good day for me, man. What can I say? We cried on the grid.”

Kanaan said that the result though wasn’t what he wanted either. They went too aggressive on the downforce levels early and added too much for the end.

“It was just one of those days,” he says.

Kanaan says the silver lining about being in 16th place at the end is that it makes it easier to allow Kyle Larson in that car next year.

“In a way, finishing 16th will take everybody’s idea out, oh, you finished third, you should do it again,” he joked. “Kyle Larson is driving that car next year. Hopefully I will be around.”

Still, Kanaan has several emotions going on right now. Gutted. Relief. Happy and sad all at the same time.

“But one thing is for certain. I think I sat here three years ago and I said I’m not retiring because I don’t want to race in an empty stand, and what they did for me today puts an end of me coming back here. Because that experience right there, I don’t think I will have it ever again,” he says.