Alexander Rossi snaps lengthy pole drought, but 3-year winless streak looms: 'We haven't finished the job'

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. – In the three-plus years since Alexander Rossi’s last IndyCar pole, the longtime Andretti Autosport driver had run the gamut of just about every way to come up just short. So there was a heavy dose of irony Saturday when a mechanical failure on Andretti’s No. 28 of Romain Grosjean very well may have made the difference in Rossi even having a chance at a run for pole.

Because his car wouldn’t switch gears while on pitlane, Grosjean lost valuable time and was only able to make one flying lap on his sticker red Firestone tires during the Fast 12 instead of the traditional two – which is most often when the reds are in the proper window to turn a driver’s fastest lap. The Swiss-born Frenchman took seventh, just 0.081 seconds slower than Rossi’s 1:45.0733.

Just barely sliding into the Fast 6, Rossi then turned what 2nd-place Josef Newgarden called “an outlier, a mega lap” on the slower black tires to earn the top starting spot for Sunday’s 55-lap Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America.

“It’s just crazy, just to think it’s been so long,” said Rossi on Saturday of the pole-less drought. “It’s a pretty cool thing to be a part of right now. Just really proud of the guys and the team.

“Internally, (the drought) is motivating. Obviously, you don’t ever want to go through an experience like this, but we haven’t finished the job yet. We need to go win tomorrow. We’ve accomplished half the goal.”

'Can I go for the brats?': Grosjean won't be confused for a cheesehead

Insider: In '19, Rossi bet continuity was best. In '22, he's changing teams. Is he right?

Doing so would snap Rossi’s long winless streak. The 30-year-old last started from P1 on June 1, 2019, at Detroit, and his last win came June 23 of that year at Road America. Just a couple of weeks later, he, Michael Andretti and Honda announced that he would return on a three-year deal that began in 2020. Through the first 37 races of that deal – along with the final seven of the previous one – there’s been little to celebrate.

Rossi sought a new home last summer behind-the-scenes, eventually leading to the confirmation just over a week ago that he’ll slide into one of Arrow McLaren SP’s two open seats for 2023 on a multi-year deal. With all signs pointing to such a move for months, Rossi’s No. 27 program has come on of late with a near-miss on the IMS road course (11th, caught out by tire strategy on an off-and-on rainy day), a 5th-place finish after starting 20th in the Indy 500 and a runner-up last Sunday at Detroit.

Rossi couldn’t quite put his finger on what might have led to his best stretch of results since four consecutive podiums near the end of 2020.

“We’re not doing anything different. It’s just, mistakes are minimized, and chaotic events – minus a clutch blowing up this morning – have been relatively under control,” said Rossi, who added that after a some crew changes early, he’s been with the same group since IMS. “But it’s a momentum business for sure. When things go well, it just seems to kind of happen.

“Obviously, you want to be able to quantify that. You want to be able to understand exactly why that is, so that you can always have it. I don’t think it’s always as easy as that. But this just helps everyone’s morale. That always leads to, subconsciously, everyone’s trying a little bit harder I think. I think we’re seeing the results of that, but again, we haven’t won anything yet.”

The latest IndyCar news:

• IndyCar Silly Season busier than ever heading into mid-summer break

• Insider: Power's secret to his Detroit win, IndyCar points lead? 'Not caring anymore'

• Palou on rumored Arrow McLaren SP interest: 'I'm happy where I am'

The seven-time IndyCar race-winner has won four of the six times he’s started out front. Outside his maiden IndyCar win in the 2016 500, where he started 11th, Rossi has also won from 3rd (2018 Pocono) and 2nd (2019 Road America). When he hasn’t won from pole, he finished 2nd (2019 Detroit Race 1) and 12th (2018 Detroit Race 2).

This year, IndyCar pole-sitters haven’t finished nearly as strong, holding an average finishing position of 10.86, compared to 5.63 in 2021, 7.64 in 2020 and 6.35 in 2019. Only six times in IndyCar history have pole-sitters over a full season finished with an average finishing position worse than 11th – and none since the turn of the century. Six drivers have won IndyCar races this year, and each race has had a different pole-sitter  – the first time since 1961 that IndyCar has had different pole-sitters this deep into a season.

On Rossi’s heels will be Newgarden, who had this race nearly won last year until a mechanical failure heading to the white flag dropped him to 21st. Though he’s the only driver in the series with two victories this year, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevy came away frustrated with 4th at Detroit after starting on pole. He's 5th in points, 47 back from leader and teammate Will Power.

Sparking change: De Silvestro, Calderon hope to inspire more female drivers

Should Power, who won last Sunday at Detroit, hope to hold onto that lead, he’ll likely have to make a historic charge from his midfield starting position (15th). In the 32 races CART/IndyCar have run at Road America, the winner has come from the top-6 starting spots 26 times, and only once has the winner started outside the top-10 (Alex Tagliani, 13th in 2004). Saturday’s Fast 6 was made up of five of the top-7 in the points, including (in starting order) Rossi (7th in points, 73 back), Newgarden (5th, 47 back), Alex Palou (4th, 14 back), Marcus Ericsson (2nd, 3 back), Colton Herta (11th, 89 back) and Pato O’Ward (3rd, 12 back).

Other notable starting positions include Grosjean (7th), Felix Rosenqvist (8th), Scott Dixon (10th), Callum Ilott (12th), Rinus VeeKay (17th), Graham Rahal (22nd), Kyle Kirkwood (24th), Jimmie Johnson (26th) and Simona De Silvestro (27th).

Email IndyStar motor sports reporter Nathan Brown at nlbrown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @By_NathanBrown.

IndyCar qualifying results from Elkhart Lake 

(With starting position, car number, driver, chassis/engine/tire combination, time of lap, average speed. D-Dallara, H-Honda, C-Chevrolet, F-Firestone)

1. (27) Alexander Rossi, D/H/F, 01:44.8656 (137.799 mph).

2. (2) Josef Newgarden, D/C/F, 01:44.9371 (137.705).

3. (10) Alex Palou, D/H/F, 01:45.3822 (137.124).

4. (8) Marcus Ericsson, D/H/F, 01:45.4240 (137.069).

5. (26) Colton Herta, D/H/F, 01:45.5388 (136.920).

6. (5) Pato O'Ward, D/C/F, 01:45.6826 (136.734).

7. (28) Romain Grosjean, D/H/F, 01:45.1543 (137.421).

8. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, D/C/F, 01:45.2307 (137.321).

9. (3) Scott McLaughlin, D/C/F, 01:45.2412 (137.307).

10. (9) Scott Dixon, D/H/F, 01:45.2446 (137.303).

11. (60) Simon Pagenaud, D/H/F, 01:45.2759 (137.262).

12. (77) Callum Ilott, D/C/F, No Time (No Speed).

13. (30) Christian Lundgaard, D/H/F, 01:45.4024 (137.097).

14. (18) David Malukas, D/H/F, 01:45.6017 (136.839).

15. (12) Will Power, D/C/F, 01:45.4227 (137.071).

16. (06) Helio Castroneves, D/H/F, 01:45.6217 (136.813).

17. (21) Rinus VeeKay, D/C/F, 01:45.5581 (136.895).

18. (20) Conor Daly, D/C/F, 01:45.7234 (136.681).

19. (51) Takuma Sato, D/H/F, 01:45.7045 (136.706).

20. (45) Jack Harvey, D/H/F, 01:45.9420 (136.399).

21. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, D/H/F, 01:46.0785 (136.224).

22. (15) Graham Rahal, D/H/F, 01:45.9951 (136.331).

23. (4) Dalton Kellett, D/C/F, 01:46.9755 (135.081).

24. (14) Kyle Kirkwood, D/C/F, 01:46.6130 (135.541).

25. (11) Tatiana Calderon, D/C/F, 01:47.5661 (134.340).

26. (48) Jimmie Johnson, D/H/F, 01:47.3134 (134.656).

27. (16) Simona de Silvestro, D/C/F, 01:48.1033 (133.672).

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar: Alexander Rossi snaps 3-year pole drought at Road America