Aleshin On Pocono Finish: 'Definitely Great, Could Be Greater'

Mikhail Aleshin is weighing in after his career-best Verizon IndyCar Series finish in Monday’s ABC Supply 500, and the Russian Rocket is still looking for ways to improve.

Mikhail Aleshin had an unbelievable weekend at the 2016 ABC Supply 500. First, he made IndyCar history when he captured the pole at Pocono Raceway, and then he achieved his best finish when he came second just behind Will Power.

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Speaking at the post-race press conference, the driver of the No. 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda saw both cause to celebrate and space to get better in his Pocono result.

“Day was definitely great. Could be greater if I would be standing on the top of the podium,” Aleshin conceded, “but today I think, to be fair, Will deserved it more because he was just faster. I caught him, but it was just impossible to overtake. I was going sideways, almost lost my car couple of times. I just wanted this win so bad, but it wasn’t the case this time.

“But I want to say big thanks to my team, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports,” he continued. “I’m really proud of this team. They [made] great progress during last couple of races. We’ve been through many things this year; we didn’t give up. We just became stronger, and you can see the results came straight away.”

Aleshin brushed off the late-race pit adjustments that temporarily slowed his car (“We tried something; it didn’t work, obviously”) and discussed how the wind affected performance during Monday’s race.

“The wind was actually a factor,” he explained. “It was affecting me a lot in Turn 3. Basically for these 200 laps, you don’t know what your balance is in Turn 3. You’re expecting what happened like last year, you had some understeer, fine, we’re going to live with this. You don’t change anything. No weight jacker, nothing. You’re coming there, everything is the same, then the wind started to blow more.”

Regardless of the wind and other track conditions, he ran up front most of the day and impressed the entire IndyCar paddock. Is there anything from his success at Pocono that Aleshin will take with him when he resumes the 2016 Firestone 600 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway?

“I think Texas is a little bit different. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think it’s a completely different track, completely different story, completely different idea,” he said.

“So the only thing I can take from [Pocono] is definitely that we’re getting better and better, confidence, the progress that we have. We just need to keep this momentum into next race in Texas because we’re starting third there.”

He did tell reporters that with three races remaining his belief is that the IndyCar title battle, which is now razor-thin between Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud and Power, will come down to the wire.

“For sure, probably the championship’s going to be decided in the end,” Aleshin theorized. “Like last race, the same as last year. It’s going to be exciting, definitely.”

Aleshin’s contract with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports expires at the end of this season, but team owner Sam Schmidt is hoping to retain him for 2017.

Aleshin On Pocono Finish: ‘Definitely Great, Could Be Greater’

By Brittany Frederick | Aug 24, 2016

Mikhail Aleshin is weighing in after his career-best Verizon IndyCar Series finish in Monday’s ABC Supply 500, and the Russian Rocket is still looking for ways to improve.