NTT IndyCar Series drivers are well known for being pranksters, and Andretti Autosport has a long history of some high-profile jokes that have included missing toilet seats, sawed-off bike frames and internationally shipped shoes.
But few have been quite as elaborate as the trick played Wednesday morning on Andretti’s Alexander Rossi at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 2016 Indy 500 winner discovered the wheels missing from the golf kart outside his motorhome and immediately vowed revenge.
So here’s the thing about pranks in the @IMS bus lot...the list of potential culprits can be extensive. But one thing is for certain, once I find out who it is, payback is going to be a painful lesson. pic.twitter.com/HdjiCN3aUc
— Alexander Rossi (@AlexanderRossi) August 19, 2020
As Rossi noted, though, the list of suspects could be endless given the frequency of pranks in the IndyCar paddock.
One of the most notorious culprits immediately proclaimed his innocence, though.
I was home https://t.co/HlJ2VKlHFi
— Tony Kanaan (@TonyKanaan) August 19, 2020
Here’s a roundup below of some other reactions to Rossi’s missing wheels.
Among those impressed were Conor Daly, who dealt with the repercussions of a “balloons in the bedroom” gag three years ago at the Brickyard, and Colton Herta, who lost his phone for a few hours during preseason Media Day this year.
It also got the seal of approval from Dario Franchitti, who once sawed Kanaan’s bike in half during a nationally televised 2005 interview when they were teammates at Andretti.
That’s impressive commitment. I can’t wait to see the culprit’s RV on bricks! These things tend to escalate quickly... don’t they @TonyKanaan https://t.co/vP0V1qEC8c
— Dario Franchitti (@dariofranchitti) August 19, 2020
That’s epic https://t.co/4HzNpAntgl
— Colton Herta (@ColtonHerta) August 19, 2020
Hey @FirestoneTires, can you help @AlexanderRossi out? #INDYCAR | #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/RPnVvf58Ct
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) August 19, 2020
That is absolutely amazing. Took me almost a year to find the culprits of this! 😂😂 #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/l87lA4drym
— Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22) August 19, 2020