See Tony Kanaan’s Month-of-May House

While many Indy 500 drivers live in deluxe RVs at the track throughout May, Tony Kanaan stayed in his downtown condo. This year, he switched gears and decamped to Meridian-Kessler, in a newly updated home by Litz & Eaton Investments. Litz & Eaton is known for its spec-home renovations in affluent northside communities, and Kanaan has been house-hunting in Indianapolis with the firm, which in turn was car-shopping for a sponsorship. Though the 2013 Indy 500 champ didn’t find a pad to purchase before this year’s action revved up, serendipity struck: a Litz & Eaton makeover in Midtown had just sold, and the new owners wouldn’t move in until mid-June. Kanaan and his wife snapped it up, fast.

The house already had appealing features, including an attached garage—uncommon in Meridian-Kessler—so Kanaan can come and go privately, and a newly opened floor plan for the entertaining the Kanaans do during the month. Brad Litz, the developer in the Litz & Eaton partnership (noted on the driver’s helmet this year), says Kanaan had a few requests, like a video-game setup for one of his sons and an in-law suite for his mother.  The new deck over a sunroom addition with sleek black-frame windows looks primed for parties—perhaps a victory celebration after the race.