“I was a Jeff Gordon fan”: When Alexander Rossi reacted to NASCAR legend’s ‘huge surprise’

Former Arrow McLaren driver Alexander Rossi once reacted to his surprise meeting with NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon. The meeting took place after Rossi had won the 3016 Indy 500 as a rookie.

American driver Alexander Rossi has been one of the most consistent competitors in the IndyCar Series since his debut. While not yet a winner, the 33-year-old has regularly finished inside the top-10 in the last few seasons.

One of the most memorable moments of his racing career came in the year 2016, when he was a rookie coming in fresh from a 5-race stint in Formula 1. Driving for Andretti Herta Autosport, Rossi emerged victorious in his first-ever Indy 500 race, solidifying his name in the history books.

After the race was over, Alexander Rossi was at Mo's, A Place for Steaks, where Rossi was celebrating his triumph with BorgWarner representatives, VIPs, and media personnel. There, he was met with a surprise guest, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.

Rossi admitted he grew up a Gordon admirer. Speaking about the moment, he revealed in an interview in 2016 (via IndyCar.com):

"I was a Jeff Gordon fan from the sense when I was growing up he was dominating, so there was a huge following that he had. Up until this year I had never been to a Cup race until I went to the Brickyard 400.

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"NASCAR was something that wasn’t huge on my radar but being a part of a group of people from Northern California that have raced, it’s pretty cool. Maybe it’s something in the water up there."

Rossi's meeting with Gordon was not only a surprise but also a cherished moment in his career. He described it as "very cool" and a significant experience. He added in the same interview:

"That was very cool and a huge surprise. Jeff is one of the icons of the sport and to be able to share a few moments with him and the BorgWarner family and media was very cool."

Rossi would go on to win the Rookie of the Season honor in the 2016 season, laying the foundations for what was to come.

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Alexander Rossi met another racing icon after his Indy 500 win

However, Jeff Gordon wasn’t the only racing legend Alexander Rossi had the honor of meeting that evening. Among the distinguished guests was Bobby Unser, a three-time Indy 500 winner and one of the most revered figures in IndyCar history. Speaking about the moment, Rossi revealed:

"The other highlight of the evening was getting to sit next to Bobby Unser all night. He’s a legend to Indy car racing and it was fantastic to hear his stories about what INDYCAR and the Indy 500 was like in his day and hear about how the sport has changed. I felt very privileged to be a part of it."

Alexander Rossi had previously competed in Formula 1 in 2015, driving for the Marussia F1 team. For the 2025 IndyCar campaign, the 33-year-old driver is set to drive for Ed Carpenter Racing after departing from Arrow McLaren.