SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- Alexander Rossi exited his car like an animal being released from its cage.
For nearly three hours in unexpectedly steamy conditions Sunday, the racer had thrashed his way around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He had manhandled a car that didn't have as much horsepower as it needed. He had overcome a quicksand trench of a pit stop when his team couldn't get fuel into his car for a time-bending 23 seconds. He'd damn near been killed by a laps-down car that wouldn't get out of the way. A red flag had erased what looked like a late advantage.