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In Deep at the Indy 200 as Alexander Rossi wins big [again] with TAG Heuer
When the checkered flag dropped at Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, it marked another career victory for Alexander Rossi and a big win for TAG Heuer and the unique Carrera Heuer 01 that accompanied him 200 miles from his pole position to Victory Lane…well, sort of. (More on that in a bit)
So buckle up as this article jumps from brand ambassadors to watches, to racing…a full account of a WIS on race day!
I caught up with Alex before the race for a brief discussion of watches, racing and his role as TAG Heuer brand ambassador.
Having met Alex on previous occasions, I was well aware of his passion for TAG Heuer that extends well beyond the business of sponsorship. In short, Alex is the real deal. He’s the ambassador that every WIS wants to believe in. When talking TAG, he exudes a boyish enthusiasm for the brand yet a deep respect for its heritage.
More importantly, he walks the talk. Just ask him about the Indy500 Carrera Heuer-01 Limited Edition he wears most often and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
You won’t find this piece in a museum or tucked away in the back of a safe. Chances are, if you happen to run into Alex in the wild, it’s on his wrist as I have noticed in countless photos and each time we’ve met.
As Alex explained, “It’s obviously very special to me. It’s the watch I won for winning the Indy 500 in 2016. A lot of people go, ‘Why do you wear it on a daily basis?’ First of all, I love the brand, I love the Carrera, but also, it means a lot. It’s a reminder of what we accomplished on that day. What’s the point of having something if you’re not going to use it? It’s my philosophy. Right? I’m the same way with cars and watches and bourbon and all the good things in life.”
Rossi’s connection with TAG Heuer precedes his career with Indy. In fact, his admiration for the brand was established well before his racing days.
“I was a huge fan of TAG growing up, my dad kinda got me introduced to it. I was about 12 or 13 years old and it was a dream to have one, one day. Now to be able to represent them and work with them on the Verizon IndyCar series is a very, very cool thing.”
Speaking of cool, Alex went on to remind me of another unique collaboration with the brand earlier this year.
“You know about the TAG Helmet that I ran during the Indy 500, the Alec Monopoly,” he asked. “That was a really cool thing for me to be able to do. The Indy 500 is a prestigious event, a lot of eyeballs trackside and on TV. TAG and I came up with the idea to collaborate with another one of their ambassadors, Alec Monopoly. He actually designed a special edition helmet for me for the 500 and it was awesome. Everyone that saw it, loved it. I think that was a hit so I think we’ll definitely be looking to continue that going into 2019 and maybe doing something similar again.
While the helmets may change, chances are, Rossi’s affinity for his Heuer-01 will remain constant.
For this important day, I was wearing my 100th Indy500 Heuer-01 as well, and Rossi’s team was so kind and helpful in accommodating my request to shoot some photos with the #27 car just hours before the race.
As the interview wrapped, I couldn’t help but notice how relaxed and interactive Alex was throughout our discussion. I wondered if I should shake him and remind him that he had a race coming up.
Perhaps it’s his “cool runnings” that keep Alex sharp behind the wheel and the epitome of TAG Heuer’s motto, “Don’t Crack Under Pressure.” Maybe that sounds a little cliché, but damn, if piloting a 1,600 pound rocket around a track isn’t pressure, please enlighten me.
I will also point out that in every reference to a victory, Rossi uses words like, “we” and “us,” reminding me that even “champion” is a collective noun and that he is only one part of the winning equation. This was certainly evident as I witnessed the cool diligence of his team preparing his ship for its afternoon launch.
As I exited the garage, I had to grab a shot of this technical marvel…and the car ; )
Raised around cars and racing, I’ve never lost my appreciation for the design that goes into these incredible machines. Every detail, every curve is pure art that elicits similar emotions as a fine watch. I don’t think I’m alone in this.
Part PlayStation, part NASA, this was simply a fun opportunity shot that needs no further explanation.
Back to my previous statement about a unique Carrera Heuer 01 that accompanied him from pole position to Victory Lane, here it is - his Indy watch printed on his left racing glove!
When wearing an actual watch simply isn’t practical at speeds topping 200 mph, naturally you simply have your favorite watch printed on your glove! Brilliant!
According to Alex, “It’s pretty hard to wear a watch when I’m in the racecar. A for comfort, B for weight and so the idea was to still be able to represent TAG, to represent my favorite watch for the Indy 500 that we won on the glove. It’s an exact image of the 01 that I wear every day, screen-printed on my racing glove. So it’s pretty cool, it’s on the same wrist and everything. So it makes a lot of sense.”
If that’s not enough, I doubled down…tripled down and added my 101st AND 102nd Indy500 Heuer-01 LE’s to the mix. Things just got real. In fact, there were other advancements to my Indy500 TAG Heuer watch collection this trip, but I’ll save that for another post.
Back at the track, two dozen Dallara IR-12s with a mix of Honda and Chevy engines were taking their place on pit lane.
How foretelling as the team gently pushed the #27 car to its pole position, a lead that Rossi would retain throughout the race.
Well before Alex entered the pit, his team had already embarked on a seemingly choreographed preparation of the car. Efforts that all but promised to pay rewarding dividends.
As impressed as I was and continue to be with Alex, watching the rest of his team work is nothing short of awe inspiring.
One last detail. With the blessing of a crew member, I placed my Heuer-01 on the front tire for one more shot before the race, as if for good luck!
Green Flag.
With cars now launched, I settled in for an exciting race. As an Alex Rossi fan, it couldn't have been better!
While there were several smaller battles between drivers vying for position, Rossi’s lead was never truly contested. For the most part, if another driver saw Rossi in their review, it’s because they were about to be lapped. Not just passed, but lapped.
I’ll summarize the race by saying Team Rossi had a brilliant strategy to drive fast, but conserve fuel. And it paid off. He absolutely dominated the course.
For me, the most fun was timing his lead with the chronograph on my Heuer-01. Seriously, I was timing leads 15 seconds, 18 seconds, etc. It was crazy.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he got a little bored up front, all by himself. Then I thought, at least he has a cool watch to spy on his glove!
I don’t mean to make light of the race. I’m sure there was a lot of sweating, planning and constant strategizing by all teams involved, but Alex and his team just made it look so damn easy.
How Rossi managed to squeeze 90 laps from two pit stops while everyone else required three escapes me. It was a gutsy strategy not unlike the one that led him to victory at Indy, where he would shut off the motor and coast to conserve fuel. I’m sure every team will be studying this race for years to come.
Clutch & Chill, Alex, Clutch and Chill. It’s a motto of Alex’s that described his strategy at Indy, and certainly appears to have worked in Ohio. In the world of watches, I believe this phrase just might translate into “Don’t Crack Under Pressure.”
I’m glad that Alex is a success at racing because he has no future at Krispy Kreme (Doughnuts). If you happened to see the race or caught it YouTube, you probably realized that doughnuts are not his forte. I guess, after winning the race in such an amazing fashion, Rossi deserves a little latitude. Fortunately, he was even a little self-deprecating when he stalled his car during an attempted celebratory doughnut following his win.
After his post race antics, Alex made his way into Victory Lane where he was presented a trophy for his second win of the season and the fourth win of his Indy Career.
I trust there will be many more!
Alex was in good company at the podium. To the right is 3rd place finisher Will Power, winner of this year’s Indy 500. I’ll post more on his watch at a later time.
Finally, as one of the longest serving sponsors of IndyCar, no race is complete until the winner receives a complimentary TAG Heuer watch for the day’s accomplishments.
With each meeting with Alex, I learn something new, but one thing remains the: same: his sincere passion for TAG Heuer and his unwavering support for the brand.
As a TAG Heuer fanboy, I commend the brand on consistently selecting ambassadors with similar values, who respect and appreciate the brand and it’s products just as we WIS’s do.
After numerous discussions with Alex about watches, I realized that what he sees and appreciates most about his watch is no different than the rest of us. While we all may not have an Indy200 or 500 win under our belts, I bet just about everyone reading this has a watch equally as important to them.
Alexander Rossi has a story and connection to his TAG Heuer watch that is unique unto itself. It’s that magical connection that we all strive for - one that can take an ordinary watch and make it priceless.
Congratulations to Alex and his team and thanks for a great weekend!
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