BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK RACE NOTES
RACE RESULTS
11th: ALEXANDER ROSSI No. 20 Java House Chevrolet
19th: CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet
NEXT RACE: Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 19 (FOX, 5:30 p.m. ET)
ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 20 JAVA HOUSE CHEVROLET
ALEXANDER ROSSI, No. 20 Java House Chevrolet, Finished 11th: “Well, it was a pretty boring day. We finished where we started. It was a primary tire race for us, so we lost a little bit on the start compared to the guys on alternates. The Java House boys and girls had really good pit stops as well. Our pace was kind of 11th-place-ish, so we received to there. Eleventh is just two ones next to each other, instead of one one. We will try to get one one soon.”
RACE RESULTS:
START: 11th
FINISH: 11th
STATUS: Running
LAPS COMPLETED: 90/90
OF NOTE:
- In yesterday’s qualifying, Alexander Rossi was assigned to Round 1, Group 1 and took to the track on a set of red Firestone Firehawks. After three laps, he switched to a second set. At the end of the 10-minute session, Rossi sat 5th and advanced to Round 2. For Round 2, he started on black Firehawks before switching to red tires. He set the 11th-quickest lap, which set his starting position for the race.
- Rossi began the 90-lap race on a set of black Firestone Firehawks, allowing him to stay out longer than those who started on the softer red compound. On Lap 23, he made his first pit stop after cycling up to 5th. For his second stint, he remained on black tires and again cycled forward as cars on red tires were forced to pit. On Lap 42, Rossi began his stint on red Firestone Firehawks. He came into the pit lane from 3rd and rejoined the race in 13th.
- Rossi selected a set of scuffed black Firehawks for his final stint with no additional changes. He made his last pit stop with 23 laps remaining. Quick work by the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet crew helped Rossi move up to 11th. In the closing laps, he held off cars behind him on red tires and maintained the position. He finished 11th, narrowly missing out on his third Top 10 finish in a row.
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, NO. 21 SPLENDA CHEVROLET
CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN, No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet, Finished 19th: “It was a tough weekend all around. We just struggled for pace all weekend long. The team worked super hard to turn it around, but we ultimately we couldn’t really find anything that worked well for us. A shoutout to the Splenda pit crew, they did a great job on pit lane today as well as last race weekend, I really appreciate their hard work! We are looking forward to a better weekend in Long Beach. It’s been a pretty tough start to the year for us this time around so we are looking to get that turned around.”
RACE RESULTS:
START: 17th
FINISH: 19th
STATUS: Running
LAPS COMPLETED: 90/90
OF NOTE:
- Christian Rasmussen was assigned to Round 1, Group 1 of yesterday’s qualifying session and set a lap nearly seven-tenths of a second quicker than his best practice time. However, it was not enough to advance to the second round, and Rasmussen started 17th in this afternoon’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.
- Rasmussen’s No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet was outfitted with a set of primary black Firestone Firehawks to start the 90-lap race. Starting on black tires allowed him to move forward as competitors who began on reds were forced to pit earlier. He made his first stop on Lap 24 after cycling up to 4th.
- Rasmussen completed his second stint on red tires before pitting on Lap 40 for another set of black Firehawks. He stretched that stint until 25 laps to go, when he made his final stop. He was able to finish the race on a set of black Firestone Firehawks, but was not presented with any passing opportunities. He finished the race in the 19th position.