Rossi Scores Podium Finish at Pocono
Alexander Rossi led 44 laps in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway before crossing the finish line in third.
Rossi started Sunday’s ABC Supply 500 from the sixth position and during Lap 1 jumped three positions to third, proving he was ready to fight for the win. By Lap 12, the 25-year old American pilot had taken over the lead. The 200-lap race saw a record 42 lead changes and the 2016 Indy 500 winner led eight different times, totaling 44 laps. Rossi spent two-thirds of the race competing in the top three and only was seen outside of the top-10 during pit-stop rotations.
Just past mid-way through the race, the knob of the tool Rossi uses to control his fuel mixture fell off the steering wheel, resulting in running the same fuel average for the remainder of the race. That did not stop the sophomore driver from charging though. When the checkered flags were waved, Alexander Rossi was battling Josef Newgarden and eventual race winner Will Power for the top step on the podium. The California-native crossed the finish line in third, collecting his second podium of the season and his fifth top-five finish.
“The Military to Motorsports car was great all day and the NAPA Know How crew was stellar,” said Rossi. “It’s a really good result, but when you come so close to a win, it’s sometimes difficult to swallow. We know these Honda engines have something for the competition, but the fuel mixture knob came off my steering wheel about two-thirds of the way through, so we didn’t have full power there at the end. Looking back to where we were at Pocono last year, when we had a strong car and didn’t finish, and to come back to be on the podium is a testament to the entire Andretti Autosport team and the work that they’ve done all year.”
The NAPA AUTO PARTS driver looks onward to next weekend when the Verizon IndyCar Series heads to Gateway Motorsports Park for the final oval race of the season.
Start / Finish: 6 / 3
Points Earned: 36
Points Standing / Total: 8 / 394
Next Race: Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at Gateway Motorsports Park, Saturday, Aug. 26 at 9 p.m. ET
How to Watch or Listen: NBC Sports Network or INDYCAR Radio on Sirius XM
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Alexander Rossi: @AlexanderRossi
Andretti Autosport: @FollowAndretti
Andretti Autosport View All
Andretti Autosport, led by racing legend Michael Andretti, boasts a wide racing portfolio rooted in tradition and designed for success.
Under the banners of Andretti Autosport and Avalanche Andretti Formula E, the Indianapolis-based team fields multiple entries across the INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights, the FIA Formula E World Championship and the IMSA Prototype Challenge LMP3 division. The team also competes as Walkinshaw Andretti United in the Australian Supercars category through partnership with Walkinshaw Racing and United Autosports additionally the team fields an entry in the Extreme E championship via Andretti United Extreme E.
The global racing enterprise boasts four INDYCAR SERIES championships, five Indy Light titles, one Pro Mazda championship, a Silver Class GT4 Championship and has captured victory five times at the famed Indianapolis 500. The team also holds two X Games Gold Medals and five U.S. rallycross championships.