Rossi considers Newgarden (no, not Wickens) his chief INDYCAR rival

Alexander Rossi knew Josef Newgarden was coming. He knew the Tennessean was coming faster than the white flag was fading in the distance of his mirrors, he just wasn’t sure how far back.

Yet, Rossi couldn’t concern himself with Newgarden. The Californian was trying to pilot his No. 98 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda to victory lane in the 100th Indianapolis 500 two years ago. If he was going to make history, he couldn’t focus on the two cars chasing him down.

One was an Andretti Autosport teammate, Colombian Carlos Munoz. The other, a countryman, a fellow American, 10 months his elder, charging with the fuel to reel in Rossi’s limping machine coughing on ethanol fumes. Newgarden never caught him. Rossi monitored his clutch, his fuel pressure and his mirrors to earn his place in racing immortality. Worrying about Newgarden would have to wait for another time.

The time is now.

They charted similar paths to the Verizon IndyCar series, both leaving the United States to cut their racing teeth in Europe. Newgarden sought to sharpen his wisdom by leaving for England in 2008, returning in 2011 to win the Indy Lights championship. Rossi crossed paths with Newgarden when he crossed the Atlantic in 2009, but didn’t return Stateside until a Formula One ride evaporated. Less than a week later, he was testing an Indy car for Michael Andretti at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. A few months later, he was incredulously tasting the most famous sip of milk in motorsports.

Now, it’s 2018. Newgarden is the defending Verizon IndyCar Series champion, his 2017 campaign netting him a pole, four wins and a points title in his debut season with Team Penske. Rossi is the most recent series race winner, his domination at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 29 netting his fourth career win and pulling him within 46 points of leader Scott Dixon. Newgarden is lurking in third in the standings, just 14 points behind Rossi.

Rossi’s season has had its share of frustrating moments, notably a series of on-track incidents with Canadian rookie Robert Wickens. Yet, when the 26-year-old recently was a guest on my afternoon sports talk show on Fox Sports 97.5 FM in Indianapolis this week, it was not Wickens who he confessed was his rival.

“If there’s gonna be a rivalry, I don’t want it to be with Rob,” Rossi explained. “I want it to be with Josef. We should be the ones that are rivals. We’re both trying to become the face of INDYCAR as the American hope.”

Rossi knows they took similar yet forked routes to reach the highest form of North American racing. They both raced in Europe, he acknowledged, but Newgarden joined the Verizon IndyCar Series with a four-season head start in 2012.

It’s no secret that many fans hope to return to the days of Americans running at the top of Indy car racing. The visions of Unser(s), Foyt, Rutherford, Mears, Parnelli and Johncock have left many waiting for the days where the stars and stripes would again regularly merge with twin checkers.

The series is certainly in capable hands in that regard. Ryan Hunter-Reay is a former champion with 17 career wins. Graham Rahal is a consistent threat who has collected five of his six career wins in the past three seasons. Marco Andretti has carried his family name to victory lane.

There are other young guns rising quickly on the horizon. Zach Veach is enjoying a solid rookie campaign. Spencer Pigot is starting to manifest the belief shown by team owner Ed Carpenter. Kyle Kaiser has instilled confidence in his Juncos Racing team. Charlie Kimball is part of the steady growth of first-year team Carlin.

But for Rossi, the time has come to contend as the leader of the American pack. He knows who he must beat. Newgarden.

“Eventually, hopefully, our careers’ progression is long enough (that) we both win a lot of races and championships and (Indy) 500s, to the point where our sole motivation is to beat each other,” Rossi said. “We both want to be the next American Indy car hero.”

They’ve both been plenty heroic thus far. Their careers have come full circle to find each other racing toward the front.

The time is now. This time, they both have a full tank of fuel.

(Veteran broadcaster Jake Query is a member of the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network team and offers his musings regularly on IndyCar.com.)