Alexander Rossi is expected to start the Indianapolis 500 after medical team clears him to drive
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alexander Rossi hobbled into his Indianapolis 500 media day interview on crutches Thursday. He's still planning to start Sunday's big race. Three days after having surgery on his right ankle and the middle finger of his left hand following a crash, the Californian told reporters he'd been cleared to drive and then spent most of his interview session playfully poking fun at questions about his health and himself.
“I have to be on crutches because it's a non-weight bearing injury, but fortunately to drive a race car, you don't have to bear weight,” he said. “Range of motion is good. Pain is minimal.
Swelling, as you can see, I fit into my race boot, so good to go. ” He was injured early in Monday's practice when his car spun going through the second turn on the Brickyard's 2. 5-mile oval.
He slammed hard into the outside wall then took a second shot when the trailing Pato O'Ward couldn't avoid hitting the side of Rossi's car. Rossi, the 2016 Indy winner, was eventually transferred to a local hospital where he had surgery Monday night. Rossi's Ed Carpenter Racing team members spent Monday night and Tuesday preparing his backup car, the one he used last year when he led the race, hopeful Rossi would return to the cockpit and start from the No.
2 spot that he earned in last weekend's qualifying. Rossi said he needed the two surgeries to stabilize the injuries just to give him a shot to compete. He’s still being fitted for a brace and a boot that still allow him to use the car pedals properly.
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