Watch Indianapolis 500 champ Tony Kanaan on 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson' June 11

FORT WORTH, Texas – Catching up with recently-crowned Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan, who’s been either in a race car, a Lincoln Town Car or on an airplane much of the past two weeks as three IZOD IndyCar Series races have intertwined with his Victory Tour:

Next stop, 'The Late Late Show'

Kanaan, who brought the Borg-Warner Trophy to New York last week for a guest appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” will be in Los Angeles on June 11 to be a guest on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”

Check local listings for station and time. It’s unlikely the trophy will reprise its appearance.

That's a lot of bull, er, bulls

Competing at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend, Kanaan was about 100 miles from the ranch where the 2-year-old bulls he co-owns – Downforce and Brazilian Bully – are being trained to potentially do their thing on the Professional Bull Riders circuit.

“They’re still doing their qualifying laps,” Kanaan said.

Their first tests are Back Seat Buckers events that begin in August. The grand sire of Downforce is Little Yellow Jacket, which won PBR World Champion Bull titles for three consecutive years.

Two hours before the Firestone 550, Kanaan was presented a certificate of ownership to "TK500" by the Professional Bull Riders COO Sean Gleason in recognition of his Indy 500 victory. The bull, formerly known as Mud Wasp, is a competitor on the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series.

"I win the Indy 500 and now I have a bull named after me. It doesn't much better than this," Kanaan said. "(TK500) looks mean. Good."

Cuddling with 'Turbo'

In Texas Motor Speedway’s Victory Circle, Kanaan hugged the oversized, plastic “Turbo” prop that first popped up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to promote the DreamWorks Animation feature film by the same name due in theaters July 17.

He was grateful that a snail could have an impact on the team’s on-track investment and operations.

Sunoco, the Official Fuel and Convenience Store of INDYCAR, is among the partners featured on the cars in the film about a garden snail whose dream of competing in the Indianapolis 500 comes true. It is the primary sponsor of the No. 11 Sunoco “Turbo” car driven by Kanaan at Texas, Iowa Speedway, Pocono and Mid-Ohio.

“I have to say that my son (Leonardo) is the most excited kid at home right now,” Kanaan said. “Apart from getting the Borg-Warner that I promised him, he's familiar with the ‘Turbo’ movie. Now my car is the Sunoco Turbo car for him. That, for me, is big.”

The last Indy car win with Sunoco livery was at Texas World Speedway on Oct. 6, 1973, by Gary Bettenhausen. He started 14th in the No. 5 car for team owner Roger Penske. Johnny Rutherford, the IZOD IndyCar Series’ Pace Car driver, was the race runner-up.

Special gift between friends

In a private moment in his motorcoach hours after his maiden Indianapolis 500 victory, Kanaan returned the Paralympics gold medal to Alex Zanardi and presented his mentor with his helmet.

Early on Race Day, Zanardi had given the medal he won in London in September to one-time Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and KV Racing Technology co-owner Jimmy Vasser to rub over the No. 11 car “for luck.” Vasser, in turn, passed it on to Kanaan a short time before pre-race ceremonies.

“I wasn’t planning that he was going to bring me the gold medal so it was just a natural thing and was a very special moment for myself and I think for him,” Kanaan said. “Hopefully he’ll take good care of the helmet.”