BRISTOL, Tenn. — The news keeps getting worse for Canadian racing icon Paul Tracy.

QMI Agency has learned that Tracy’s long-time association with KV Racing Technology — who he raced for at Indianapolis, Toronto and Edmonton the past two seasons — is over.

And it appears that the 2003 Champ Car World Series champion may be without any ride for the 2011 IZOD IndyCar season.

Tracy signaled the end of his deal with KVRT with a tweet late Friday, simply stating: “Just received a 3rd dagger to the heart...”

What Tracy was apparently referring to is a proposed full season contract that KVRT has signed with IndyCar veteran Tony Kanaan, who would take over Tracy’s No. 15 Honda Dallara.

The KVRT deal was crucial to Tracy’s hopes of finding enough sponsorship to enter more than just a handful of races this year.

Even though it is believed that Tracy could put together a sponsorship package that included Honda Canada for the Honda Indy Toronto and the Edmonton Indy this summer, there are precious few teams that would have a race car available to the 41-year-old Scarborough native.

And it almost certainly ends Tracy’s hopes of putting together a program that would see him race in the Indianapolis 500 this season.

It would be a sad end to a career that stretched over 20 open wheel seasons where he amassed 31 victories, 25 pole positions and 43 podium results.