Rossi Cleared to Race Indy 500 Days After Surgery

Five days after a practice crash sent him to the hospital, Alexander Rossi proved he's ready to race for another Indianapolis 500 victory.

The 2016 Indy 500 champion crashed during Monday practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, breaking his middle finger and injuring his right ankle badly enough to require surgery. Most observers wondered if he'd have to sit out Sunday's race, one of motorsport's most prestigious events.

Instead, Rossi cleared his final test Friday during Carb Day practice, the last session before race day. He drove his backup car with a specially designed brace on his hand and a protective boot on his ankle, completing enough laps to convince both his team and medical staff he was good to go.

"I'd like to talk about our team and the doctors at IU Health and what they accomplished in order to get us back into this process," Rossi said from pit lane. "It took a huge amount of things to go right and a great group of people I'm incredibly thankful for."

Rossi will start from the second position on Sunday, the best starting spot of his career. He's driving the same backup car he used last year when he led significant portions of the race, so the team knows the vehicle is capable of winning.

The Bright Side

This story shows what's possible when medical teams and racing crews work together with a single goal. The doctors at IU Health performed surgery Monday and immediately began planning how to protect Rossi's injuries while still allowing him to drive a race car at speeds exceeding 220 mph.

His team at Ed Carpenter Racing simultaneously prepared the backup car and worked with engineers to design custom equipment. The protective boot had to allow enough ankle movement to work the pedals while preventing further injury. The hand brace needed to protect the healing finger without compromising his steering grip.

Every person involved knew Rossi wouldn't risk his long term health for one race. The fact that he passed every medical test and felt comfortable in the car proves the collaborative approach worked perfectly.

Rossi wasn't focused on speed during Friday's practice, finishing 31st of 33 drivers. That didn't matter because the goal was confirming the car handled well and that he could drive it safely and comfortably for 500 miles on Sunday.

Now he gets his shot at a second Indy 500 victory, starting from the front row thanks to determination, medical innovation, and a team that refused to give up.