Christian Rasmussen won his first IndyCar race on Sunday, partly due to his aggressive driving style that allowed him to pass six cars in the final 29-lap stint.
Rasmussen’s aggressiveness has been a talking point this season, usually with the conversation asking whether or not it is over the line.
The young driver’s team owner Ed Carpenter does not see his approach as a problem, however, and put his full support behind Rasmussen following his victory.
“Christian impressed us a ton before he ever got in one of our cars, the way he finished off the INDY NXT championship that he won,” said Carpenter.
“The back half of that season, it was a tight battle, but he really took control of it at the end. That level of intensity, dedication and improvement that he showed from his two years in that championship is really what stood out to me.
“Then we put him in a car [for a test day] at Barber against Oliver Askew. A bit of a showdown. He rose to that challenge, as well. When you put a car in front of him, especially when he’s got a tire advantage, it’s a scary thing.
“People talk about they don’t like everything he does. We haven’t asked him to change one thing. He’s attacking and being aggressive, not settling for anything.
“That’s the mentality we want to have as a team. Really proud of the effort and he way he finished today.”
Respected by others
Perhaps because he earned the victory at Milwaukee, Rasmussen’s style accrued respect from other competitors as well.
Multiple drivers came to victory lane to congratulate him in person, including his team-mate Alexander Rossi who lifted him off his car as soon as he climbed out.
But the appreciation from those outside the ECR team are perhaps more representative of the true opinions of the paddock.
“That’s how he races,” said Scott McLaughlin, who finished third on Sunday. “You got to respect it.
“I think he’s very fast. He’s very brave. He makes some really nice split-second decisions.
“As we’ve seen, it’s bit him in the backside a couple of times as well. He’s learning. He’s getting better.
“I don’t know. I’ve said for a long time, he’s going to win a race at some point. He’s been really strong. He’s not scared of taking the chance.”
Rasmussen has finished in the top 10 for all five oval races this season, showing how well his driving style is suited to the banking.
He has one more chance to make it a perfect six-for-six next weekend at Nashville Superspeedway for the season finale.
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