If there is one thing that can be said about Tony Kanaan, it’s that he finishes what he starts. In 2013 Kanaan did just that when in his twelfth attempt, the Brazilian and Lebanese race car driver won the Indianapolis 500.

Born December 31, 1974 and raised in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Kanaan was a racing fan as a boy. Ironically enough he never considered it a full-time job, in part because educational aspirations trumped sports and leisure in the Kanaan household. However, when his father died as a teenager, Kanaan decided otherwise and moved to Italy in hopes of advancing a racing career and to provide for his family. Despite having no money to fund his rides and often having to live in the race shop, he did well on the track racking up awards and accolades.

Kanaan’s track record doesn’t lie — a total of 15 IRL victories, winning the IndyCar Series three times, also a season in which he completed 3,305 laps, making him the first IndyCar Series driver to complete every possible lap in a season. Kanaan also led 889 laps in 13 separate races to establish an IndyCar Series record and is also the only driver to lead the Indianapolis 500 in each of his first seven starts.

Off the track Tony has sought to mirror this success. Kanaan is good friends with Brazilian Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello, they even exchanged helmets for certain races. Alongside Barrichello they started the Barrichello Kanaan Institute, a charity which offers financial and technical aid to institutions within the voluntary sector.

So although 2013 may be the first time the world finally recognized Kanaan for his Indy 500 victory. His win filled what appeared to be the only gap on his resume. The feat was really just culmination of a career spent doing what he does best — finishing.