American Racing News Vol 1, Issue 2 Issue 4 | Page 14

Cover Story | American Racing News |

Photo | Chris Qwens

to, off all things, difficulty getting fuel
into the car.
“What a lot of people think when they
hear I was running out of fuel (at the
end of the race), they think it was
something that I had to adjust for on
the last like two or three laps,” he
said. “But this was a decision that was
made 90 laps prior. I was in fuel conserve mode from that point, all the
while trying to maintain and advance
my position. It was a pretty tricky end
to the race.”

There may also have been a bit of
divine guidance involved. Andretti
and Bryan Herta are co-owners of the
Andretti Herta Autosport with CurbAgajanian car Rossi drove to Victory
Circle. The late Dan Wheldon won the
Indy 500 for Andretti on May 29,
2005; he won it again driving for Herta on May 29, 2011.
Rossi won on May 29, 2016, driving
the same No. 98 Wheldon rode to
victory five years ago when another
rookie – JR Hildebrand – nearly won

the race by going the final 36 laps on
a tank of fuel, until Hildebrand
crashed exiting Turn 4 on the last lap.
Did Wheldon have a hand in Rossi’s
Indianapolis 500 destiny from above?
“I’m not going to discount it,” Herta
said.
“Maybe, it’s possible,” Andretti added. “This place is hard to explain. As
Marco (Andretti) said the other day,
this place picks the winner. It’s funny
how it works out.”

“I have no idea
how we pulled that off.”
14 | American Racing News | IndyCar

Photo | IndyCar PR