The positive vibes were radiating from Alexander Rossi despite narrowly missing pole for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Rossi set the tone in the Fast Six by going out first and setting the benchmark four-lap average pace of 231.990mph in the #20 ECR Chevrolet.
And it was unreachable for everyone, except defending race winner Alex Palou, who soared to a 232.248 four-lap average to knock Rossi off his perch and snatch pole.
Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 winner, was left settling for second when the dust settled on a gusty and hot day. Still, though, the result marks a career best in 11 Indy 500 appearances, and second-ever front row start, with his last – a third-place start – coming in 2017.
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
“I think it was an incredible day for everyone after the disappointment obviously of the wash-out yesterday,” Rossi said, noting Saturday’s qualifications being rained out.
“And seeing conditions that we hadn’t seen all month for the first time in qualifying, it’s pretty wild, but a huge testament to everyone on the #20 crew for staying with it and continuing to evolve and improve after each run. It’s no small feat around here.
“A great day. It’s not often that you are happy with second place, but with some of the challenges that everyone faced, this is a pretty cool one.”
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
Conditions saw the track temperature rise to 111F, with wind gusts nearing 20mph hammering drivers on track throughout the day. In turn, it made for a busy day at the office with drivers constantly managing the tools inside the cockpit while soaring to 240mph.
“On days like this with the wind being as strong as it is, both ends of the track behave differently,” Rossi said. “With the hybrid there’s different options that you have from a strategic standpoint during the run based on those conditions, and it’s always changing.
“You have to kind of manage that and stay on it, of the balance of the car. But, yeah, like I said, it’s been an amazing car from a drivability standpoint, a speed standpoint all month. I would say today was our least competitive day from my side, so that’s really encouraging going into next week.”
And with the margins so tight, did Rossi have anything left on the table that maybe could have held the top spot?
“There’s always something,” he said. “There’s always something. Even that guy behind me [pointing to Palou] can probably say the same thing. So we’ll learn from it and try and apply it to the next time we’re here.”
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