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Why Alexander Rossi’s Indy 500 Win Was No Fluke

By Asher Fair

May 30, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Verizon Indy Car driver and 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi poses for a photo in his car at the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Verizon Indy Car driver and 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi poses for a photo in his car at the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The average IndyCar fan pushes aside Alexander Rossi’s Indianapolis 500 win as a fluke because of pit strategy. But it that going too far?

On Saturday, May 21, 2016, a week and a day before the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, rookie American Verizon IndyCar Series driver Alexander Rossi was bumped out of Fast Nine Indianapolis 500 qualifications late in the session. He ended up 10th fastest in the session, and could only start as high as 10th in the race. There was a clear disgust on his face after being the fastest driver not to qualify for a chance to go at it for the pole position.

While he did still end up qualifying in 11th, the oddsmakers were not high on him. After all, he was a rookie with not much prior oval experience in any sort of car whatsoever. With 66:1 odds to win the race, Rossi had a better chance to win the race than only nine of the 33 drivers in the field.

When the race itself rolled around, Rossi made his final tank of fuel last 36 laps compared to the average 28-30 lap stint. He won the race because of it, and then ran out of fuel on his victory lap.

Many people have written off Rossi’s win as a result of extreme luck. After all, who else has gone 36 laps with no yellow flags at Indianapolis without pitting?

But this win was not a result of luck. This was a result of great race strategy and great driving only.

How so?

First of all, Rossi’s race strategist and Andretti Herta Autosport team co-owner Bryan Herta had done this before. In 2011, he called a spectacular race for the late Dan Wheldon, who led only one lap en route to being crowned Indianapolis 500 champion. JR Hildebrand’s infamous crash in turn four to seal Wheldon’s victory definitely had a huge element of luck to it for Wheldon. Nothing in Rossi’s victory was as dramatic as that crash.

Secondly, Rossi pit a total of eight times throughout the race. That number was the same amount of each of the other three drivers that finished inside the top four. Having pit the same number of times as anybody else in a position to win, there is really no argument that can logically explain Rossi’s victory being a simple fluke. After all, the first person to complete 500 miles wins the race. Rossi did just that, and he did that on the same number of pit stops as the other late-race contenders.

Finally, Rossi really had to do the hard work and then some all by himself. He got no help from caution flags late in the race, and he had Herta yelling in his ear the whole final couple of laps while his average speed dwindled. Oh, and he made a tank of fuel last a good 15-20 miles longer than the average tank while keeping his speed high enough so that he would still the race leader even as he was being chased down fast by Carlos Munoz and Josef Newgarden.

Must Read: Top-Five IndyCar Championship Contenders In 2017

The reasons that back up Alexander Rossi’s Indianapolis 500 win not being a fluke make it very important for drivers, teams and fans not to sleep on him this season. Oh, and the oddsmakers.