Alexander Rossi believes the recent resurgence of the NTT IndyCar Series began with the positive buildup to the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016. That’s when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was once again filled to capacity with the first announced sellout in the history of the world’s most famous race.
Since that race, IndyCar has experienced an increase in interest from fans, television networks and sponsors. The car count is up entering the March 10 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and new stars are being created.
It was Rossi who won the Indy 500 in 2016, scoring his first career IndyCar win in its biggest race. Since that time, the Auburn, California, native, has become a star of the series. He had three of his five career victories last season and entered the season finale with a mathematical chance at winning his first championship.
In a sense, Rossi has become the poster boy for IndyCar’s rejuvenation.
“It was a good one to choose to win, for sure,” Rossi told Autoweek, referring to his Indy 500 victory. “Regardless of where you finish in the season or the 500, it’s your duty as a driver to go out and promote the series and raise the excitement level and introduce it to new fan bases. That’s something we all take a lot of pride in as drivers and something that I have grown to appreciate being allowed to do: promote the series in ways that we see fit.”
Prior to 2016, the IndyCar Series was constantly fighting off negativity. There seemed to be constant dismay in the paddock, among the fans and even the media that remembered when this form of racing as viewed as the pinnacle of American motorsports.
“It’s been amazing to witness, first-hand,” Rossi said. “There was all the leadup to the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016, and it seems like that momentum is continuing on. There are a lot of other factors playing into that. Since May of 2016, it’s been on an exponential rise and that is very cool to be a part of and witness. All of the credit goes to (IndyCar president) Jay Frye and (IndyCar CEO) Mark Miles and his team and what they have done.
“It’s the first series that I’ve ever been a part of that share with the drivers what the three-, five- and 10-year plan is and then they actually execute that. I think that is impressive and the correct way to run a series, a business and all of the things that go along with that.
“It’s been a pleasure to be a part of and can’t wait to see where it goes.”
Rossi has won at some of the top venues on the schedule, and even one that is no longer hosting IndyCar. His second career win came at Watkins Glen International in 2017. Last year, he won at Long Beach, Mid-Ohio and Pocono.
Rossi wants to win every race, but the Indy 500 victory is one he wants to experience every year.
“I can say every year that goes by where you don’t win it, the desire goes up even more,” Rossi said. “The desire to win races isn’t the same as if you win the Indy 500. Once you get a taste of it, you want it even more if you haven’t won because you don’t want someone else to get all the cool things that come with it.
“Winning at Long Beach was important because it’s a home-state race. It’s more special than winning some of the other races because of that. It doesn’t matter where you are, you try to win every race you are entered. It doesn’t matter if we are in go-karts, we want to be able to do that.”
Rossi has become a charger who knows how to get to the front in IndyCar. When he has had to start near the back, he has thrilled the fans with his bold style of racing. That was evidenced in last year’s Indianapolis 500 when he started 32nd after one of his tires went flat on the final lap of his four laps of qualifications. He started 32nd, made some incredibly daring passes and raced his way to a fourth-place finish.
“That’s relative,” Rossi said of his ability to pass where other drivers fear to tread. “If you look at it from the outside, it’s high-risk, but in the car, it’s fine. There were scenarios where we were forced in that situation. If I was starting sixth at Indy this year, that wouldn’t be my approach. But we were starting last so you can’t really go backwards from there and might as well try something.”
Rossi’s third season in IndyCar nearly resulted in his first series championship. But in the end, he couldn’t pass Scott Dixon for the championship lead as the IndyCar great scored his fifth career NTT IndyCar title.
“We finished every race, so we didn’t have catastrophic days,” Rossi explained. “We had the same number of wins as he did and the same number of podiums. But when I would finish 11th, Scott would finish fourth. That is what he does. He has won five championships for a reason and is one of the best that has ever done it.”
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