Watch: Alexander Rossi’s day goes up in flames at the Indianapolis 500
Dramatic scenes on pit lane as Alexander Rossi’s car and fueler Mike Miller were briefly engulfed in flames
In the early stages of his 10th Indianapolis 500, Alexander Rossi looked poised to challenge for his second victory in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
But in a matter of seconds, the Californian’s race went up in flames.
Rossi was battling inside the top-five on an alternative pit strategy on lap 73 of 200 when smoke coming out of the left of his No. 20 Chevrolet led Rossi’s Ed Carpenter Racing pit crew to call him to pit road.
“I don’t know the full details, all I know is the gearbox was starting to go in temp a lot,” Rossi told FOX Sports. “I don’t know if oil was starting to come out or what, but it was a gearbox issue.”
Moments later Rossi rolled into his pit box, where his team tried to diagnose the issue with his car.
As they took off the left-rear tire, Rossi’s car was suddenly immersed in flames that reached over the pit wall with a fuel issue.
Rossi quickly climbed out of his car, hurling his gloves over the pit wall in frustration as personnel put out the first. As he walked off, fueler Mike Miller struggled over the pit wall while being sprayed down. He later gave a thumbs up to indicate that he was okay.
The 2016 Indy 500 winner told FOX Sports that he and Miller were okay afterward.
“It’s always a terrible situation,” Rossi said of the fire. “And it’s so disappointing. It was such a phenomenal race car. The team made a great decision to stay out when that first split happened with the strategy. Everything that we were doing on the (No.) 20 Java House stand was awesome.
“That’s what’s so painful about this place. You have to have so many things go right. It’s just disappointing because it’s another opportunity gone.”
Rossi was the third early exit in the Indy 500, leaving him 31st at race’s end.
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