ALEXANDER ROSSI
No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS / AUTONATION HONDA
STARTING POSITION -2
FINISHING POSITION-9
OF NOTE:
Started the race in his career-best Barber qualifying position of second // One of four drivers in the top 10 to go with a three-stop strategy, which unfortunately knocked the No. 27 car out of podium contention as the two-stop strategy ultimately prevailed.
“It was a really disappointing day for the whole 27 NAPA team. We didn’t have great pace on new tires for whatever reason, but the pace would come to us as the tires went away. Then the guys in front of us were all on a different strategy. Ultimately it just wasn’t our day. Overall it was a good weekend, but it’s just disappointing when you start on the front row and come up short like that. We just have to put it behind us and focus on the next race. We’ll move forward and hopefully be better next weekend in St. Pete.”
The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season got off to an exciting start as the field of 24 cars charged into the opening lap to find the No. 2 car of Josef Newgarden spinning atop Turn 5. Both Colton Herta and Ryan Hunter-Reay, along with a handful of other competitors, were collected in the incident. The multi-car incident ended the day for the 28 team and sent the Gainbridge crew back to the paddock where it was all hands on deck to repair the 26. Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe carried the flag for the #AllAndretti team, both driving clean races and recording solid results.
From the hills of Birmingham, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES now heads directly to the streets of St. Petersburg for Round 2 of the three-in-a-row season opening stretch. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg goes green April 25 at Noon Eastern on NBC.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
