By Paul Kelly
redbullindianapolisgp.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
When Valentino Rossi won the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Sept. 14, he made history as a winner of an inaugural event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
And Rossi also continued a trend with recent new races at IMS: Only the legends prevail.
Rossi joined NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon and all-time Formula One great Michael Schumacher as winners of inaugural major events at IMS since 1994. Gordon won the inaugural Allstate 400 at the Brickyard in 1994, and Schumacher captured the first United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2000.
A look at all three competitors' career statistics indicates that Rossi is a perfect fit as the winner of an inaugural event at IMS:
•Gordon: 81 Sprint Cup Series victories (sixth all time), four Sprint Cup Series championships (third all time)
•Schumacher: 91 Formula One victories (first all time), seven Formula One World Championships (first all time)
•Rossi: 69 MotoGP victories (first all-time), five MotoGP World Championships (tied for second all time)
That's 241 victories and 16 season titles among the trio, with Rossi zeroing in on a sixth MotoGP World Championship this season. He holds an 87-point lead over Casey Stoner with just four races remaining in 2008.
Schumacher won the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis a record five times before his retirement after the 2006 season, and Gordon has won the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard a record four times.
So if history is any indication, expect more victories in the future at Indianapolis for the popular Italian Rossi, nicknamed "The Doctor."
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2009 date: The second annual Red Bull Indianapolis GP is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009.
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