Alexander Rossi has been cleared to race in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
The California native underwent two medical procedures – a middle finger on his left hand and his right ankle – on Monday night after suffering injuries in a crash during post-qualifying practice on Monday.
“I am cleared to race,” said Rossi, 34. “I will have to be on crutches because it’s a non-weight-bearing injury. Fortunately to drive a race car, you don’t have to bear weight. Range of motion is good. Pain is minimal. Swelling, as you can see, I fit into my race boot. I’m good to go.”
Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
During Media Day ahead of Sunday’s race, where Rossi will start second in the #20 ECR Chevrolet, he shared his view of the crash in Turn 2 that led to the team going to a backup car.
“It’s a little bit of a weird one,” he said. “I don’t know that there’s a specific answer. The Speedway is a punishing place for any sort of — it minimizes margins, I think. We just were a little bit too far out of that window.
“That’s the way it goes around here sometimes. Unfortunate obviously to have it happen. In some ways incredibly fortunate that it happened on a Monday after qualifying, where the ultimate true car speed isn’t as important. Very fortunate it didn’t happen on Carb Day, so the team has had quite a bit of time, unfortunately for them, to rebuild a car from scratch. It’s the car I raced last year. It’s always been a Speedway car.
“As I said, a trying couple of days for everyone involved in the #20 car. Also it will be a very rewarding one if we can accomplish what we think we can on Sunday.”
Racing through an injury is not new for Rossi
Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 champion, will also run the final two-hour practice on Carb Day. He confirmed this isn’t the first time racing through a lower-body injury, having previously driven with a broken big toe. Additionally, he credited himself to being “99 percent” healthy.
When asked by Motorsport.com during the media day press conference what level of pain – on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most – he anticipates to be racing with, he added, “ If we do our jobs correctly, close to zero.” And when asked if that means he will not take a painkiller shot for the ankle, he replied, “I didn’t say that. I said if we do our jobs correctly, close to zero.”
Rossi went on to share details on the processes he needed to do in order to be cleared.
“I had to drive in a sim,” Rossi said. “Get in and out of the car in an appropriate amount of time. I had to show that I could react to instances quick enough with my right foot in the race car with the pedal and my boot on. That was done over several increments and durations with all of the stuff that will be on me.
“As thorough as you can be without actually being on the racetrack.”
There is also a plan for a specialized brace for Rossi to wear in the cockpit.
“There will be a brace of sorts that’s still kind of being finalized,” Rossi said. “There’s a lot of different things to consider, from a size standpoint, you got to preserve the function of being able to do that on the pedals, you have to ensure it’s providing stability, fire resistant. There’s a lot of caveats, as David unfortunately also knows.
“It’s been an incredible team effort from no less than 12 people in order to make this happen.”
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