HomeNewsRossi gains 28 positions in Indy 500 stunner
May 28, 2018
Starting Sunday night, May 20, Alexander Rossi was on a mission. A tire puncture had relegated him to start 32nd in the field of 33 for the 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500, and he had to wait seven days to make it right.
And right before he was strapped in for 200 laps, Rossi tweeted, “Nothing behind us right now. But not for long.” Those words came to life, and for the next three hours he became the star of the show, advancing 28 positions and finishing fourth on the day.
“I feel like we did what we could, and we maximized what we had,” said Rossi. "The NAPA Know How Andretti Honda team did everything right. I don’t look back on anything and wish we’d done anything different."
Via social media and the national TV broadcast, Rossi was the star of the “other show”…the one that didn’t involve the leaders up front. On a very difficult passing day in Indy, he nearly ended up on the podium, making bold moves on multiple restarts, where he made the outside lane work. (watch Rossi's passes)
“It’s just opportunity,” said Rossi. "It’s not anything to do with anything else. You try to make the most of the opportunities that are presented to you. It’s just a different mindset. You’ve got to do some things you’re uncomfortable with and hope they work out.”
The Indy 500 is a double-points race, and finishing well was mandatory since Rossi went into the race two points out of the Championship lead. The challenge was daunting with the last-row starting position, but coming home fourth kept him second in the standings, now two points behind race-winner, Will Power.
“It was a good day from a championship perspective,” said Rossi. "We didn’t have enough to win, but congrats to Will [Power] and Team Penske. So happy for him…he’s wanted this for a long time.” For full results of the race, click HERE.
Rossi was supported this weekend by friends and fellow Amazing Race contestants — winners Jessica Graf and Cody Nickson, and finalist Kristi Leskinen.
NOTE: Teams won't have any downtime, as they travel north for the Detroit Grand Prix double-header this weekend. For more information, click HERE.
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