Rossi Relishing Rocket Ride to Stardom in Indy 500, NTT IndyCar Series

In early February, Alexander Rossi walked into a conference room at a hotel in Austin, Texas, to meet the media before the INDYCAR Open Test at Circuit of the Americas.

During the 15-minute gathering, a reporter asked Rossi a question about the continued momentum of the NTT IndyCar Series as it entered the 2019 season.

“It’s been amazing to kind of witness first-hand,” Rossi said. “Obviously, there was all the lead-up in ‘16 to the 100th Running of the ‘500.’ It seems like that momentum is continuing. Obviously, there are a lot of other factors that have played into that. But it seems like since June of 2016 it’s just been on a pretty exponential rise, and that’s been very cool to be a part of and witness.”

Rossi’s answer framed the growth of the series in his usual concise, interpretive fashion. But that same response also could have applied to the rise and continued momentum of Rossi’s career in the NTT IndyCar Series.

The buildup to the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in May 2016 featured plenty of recognition of the first century of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” along with predictions of which driver might capture this landmark race. Stars of the series for the past decade or longer, such as Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Marco Andretti and others, were mentioned as contenders.

Few pinpointed California native Alexander Rossi on that list. And why would they? He was an NTT IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 rookie with Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian, coming to the series after a stalled start to his career in Formula One. He had almost no oval experience.

But Rossi shocked the racing world by winning the 100th Indianapolis 500 after a brave gamble on fuel mileage by his team, coasting over the line 4.4975 seconds ahead of Carlos Munoz with little more than vapors left in his fuel cell. A stunned Rossi could mutter barely more than “Oh, my God!” into his team radio after taking the checkered flag.

That unexpected win launched Rossi into racing stardom. He was thrust from a quiet role as the “new guy” in the powerful Andretti operation into a poster boy for the NTT IndyCar Series and American drivers in the series.

The “500” was Rossi’s sole victory in 2016, as he finished 11th in the series standings and earned Rookie of the Year honors.

Rossi, 27, won once again in 2017 at Watkins Glen and ended up seventh in the series standings. While his win total in 2017 was the same as his rookie year, the victory at the Glen validated Rossi as a series star. He beat five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion and Glen master Scott Dixon in a head’s up showdown that erased any doubt that Rossi’s victory in 2016 at Indy was a fluke because it came due to strategy instead of pure speed.

Indianapolis resident Rossi then sealed his status as an NTT IndyCar Series superstar in 2018. He finished second in the series standings, pushing champion Dixon to the limit through the season finale at Sonoma. Rossi also won three races for Andretti Autosport.

That success has thrust him into a role as one of the most recognized drivers in the series and a frequent media subject. While initially a quiet, low-key presence during his debut season in 2016, Rossi embraces his new role as a driver who receives plenty of attention when he speaks, a process that started after he won the 100th Indy 500 in 2016.

“It’s a good one to choose to win, for sure,” Rossi said of the explosion of attention on him after winning Indy. “At the end of the day, regardless of where you finish in the season or the ‘500,’ it’s your duty as an IndyCar driver to be passionate and go out and do everything you can to promote it and raise the excitement levels and hopefully reach new fan bases.

“That’s something we all take a lot of pride in, all the drivers in the series, and something that I have grown to appreciate to be allowed to do, given the freedom to promote the series in the way I see fit.”

Rossi is one of the more active NTT IndyCar Series drivers on social media and at traditional media functions and promotional appearances. His appearance last year on CBS’ “The Amazing Race” with good friend and 2019 Month of May teammate Conor Daly also helped to elevate both of their profiles and the series among the general public.

Another transformation has occurred with Rossi, too. He’s a former road-racing specialist who has fallen in love with the Indianapolis 500 and all of its tradition, speed and glory. It’s a similar process that three-time “500” winner Dario Franchitti, 2018 winner Will Power and others have experienced over the last two decades.

“The one thing I can say is that every year that goes by without winning it, the desire to win goes up even more, if that’s possible,” Rossi said. “It’s a unique race from that standpoint. The ‘500,’ if you get a taste of it, you want it even more if you have one because you don’t want anyone else to get all the cool things that go along with it.”

Rossi enters this year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge as a favorite to earn his second victory in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda fielded by Andretti Autosport. He is second in the series standings, 28 points behind leader Josef Newgarden, and arrives at the INDYCAR Grand Prix on May 11 and Indianapolis 500 on May 26 with plenty of momentum after winning the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach from the pole on April 14.

He managed to finish fourth in the “500” last year despite starting 32nd in the 33-car field. Rossi earned rave reviews from media and fans after his daring, darting passes on restarts helped him gain many positions.

Rossi downplayed the risk of those moves but hopes he doesn’t need to repeat them this year by qualifying much higher up the grid.

“It’s relative,” Rossi said. “If you look at it from the outside, it was high-risk. But inside the car, it was fine. I never felt out of my comfort zone.

“There were scenarios in which we were forced into that situation. If was starting sixth, that wouldn’t be my approach. But we were starting last, basically. You can’t really go backward from there.”