Alexander Rossi claims backup ECR No. 20 car ‘just as good’ ahead of Indy 500

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Alexander Rossi says Ed Carpenter Racing’s backup No. 20 car is “just as good” as the original despite the heavy crash that disrupted his Indianapolis 500 preparations earlier this week.

The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner suffered a major setback during practice after an accident forced ECR to prepare a replacement chassis ahead of race day.

Despite the disruption and physical recovery process following the crash, Rossi insisted confidence inside the team remains high entering Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

Alexander Rossi confident in ECR replacement car ahead of Indy 500

Alexander Rossi said Ed Carpenter Racing responded impressively under pressure following the crash earlier in the week.

The experienced IndyCar driver also suggested overall race execution and strategy would become far more important than practice speeds once the Indianapolis 500 begins.

“I feel fine, it was good. It was really important that it didn’t rain today for obvious reasons, and they did an amazing job to build a car that’s just as good as the one we had. It never gets old.

“This place is magical for so many different reasons. If we can do something pretty cool on Sunday, it’ll be one heck of a story.”

The comments reflected cautious confidence from Rossi after one of the more difficult build-ups faced by any major contender entering this year’s race.

Rossi focused on execution over 500 miles at Indianapolis

While final practice speeds often attract major attention before the Indianapolis 500, Rossi made clear the focus now shifts entirely towards delivering across 500 miles on race day.

The American has repeatedly shown strong race pace at Indianapolis throughout his IndyCar career, highlighted by his famous rookie victory in 2016.

Rossi’s successful recovery also represented a major boost for Ed Carpenter Racing after the severity of the original practice crash created uncertainty surrounding his participation earlier in the week.

Several drivers suffered heavy accidents during this year’s Indianapolis 500 preparation period, reinforcing how physically and mentally demanding the event remains despite continued safety improvements.

Given the week Rossi has endured, simply arriving at race day with confidence restored already represents an important victory before the green flag even drops.