Former Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi says he’s ready for Sunday’s big race despite dealing with injuries from a crash earlier in the week. The driver was behind the wheel of a backup vehicle during Friday’s practice after sustaining injuries to his left hand and right ankle in Monday’s incident.
The 2016 Indy 500 champion was hurt during Monday’s wreck in Turn 2 that also included Pato O’Ward in the collision. Following the accident, Rossi was seen using crutches when he exited his vehicle.
During Friday’s “Carb Day” media session, the Ed Carpenter Racing competitor expressed confidence that his No. 20 Chevrolet would perform well in Sunday’s race at Indianapolis despite the setback.
“I feel fine, it was good,” Rossi commented about Friday’s practice session. “It was really important that it didn’t rain today for obvious reasons, and the (No.) 20 car did an amazing job to build a car that’s just as good as the one we had.
“It never gets old. This place is magical for so many different reasons. If we can do something pretty cool on Sunday, it’ll be one heck of a story.”
During Friday’s session, Rossi completed 48 laps with his fastest speed reaching 222.291 mph, placing him 31st among all 33 competitors. He’s scheduled to begin Sunday’s race from the second starting position. Defending champion Alex Palou of Spain earned the pole position, while David Malukas in the No. 3 car rounds out the front row.
O’Ward also took his backup vehicle out for Friday’s practice and noticed differences in how it handled compared to his original car.
“Every car has its little details of how it likes certain setups and adjustments,” explained O’Ward of Mexico. “I think this one, as much as it was like the other, it wasn’t. It’s a different car.
“We’re getting there, we are getting there. (The practice) obviously ended much better than it started, so we’ve found the right direction, and I think we’ve got (the car) in the window where we can work with it during the race.”
The Arrow McLaren driver posted his fastest lap at 224.202, ranking 20th for the day after completing 58 laps.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden from Team Penske recorded Friday’s quickest time during Carb Day, clocking 228.342 on his 11th lap out of 55 total.
Newgarden faces a significant challenge starting from the eighth row in the 23rd position. The most recent driver to claim victory from such a far back starting spot was Johnny Rutherford, who won from 25th place in 1974.
The recent champion wasn’t placing too much emphasis on Friday’s practice results.
“It feels OK, feels all right,” said the 2023 and 2024 winner. “But today is Friday. We’ve got to be good on Sunday.
“I’m just ready to get to Sunday. Sunday is what’s going to matter with the Shell car. Team Chevy has done a great job for us this month, so I’m excited to go racing.”
Four-time Indianapolis 500 victor Helio Castroneves of Brazil remains a contender to watch as he prepares for his 26th appearance at the legendary speedway.
The 51-year-old driver, who celebrated his birthday earlier this month, finished 19th in Friday’s practice with a speed of 224.293 after running 70 laps.
“It feels great, this machine looks strong,” Castroneves stated. “The guys did a great job.”
Castroneves last captured the Indianapolis 500 in 2021, adding to his previous victories in 2001, 2002, and 2009.
