Servia happy Alonso has put world spotlight on Indy 500

Oriol Servia

With the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 just 20 days away, Oriol Servia stopped by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing headquarters for his seat fitting, getting set for his ninth appearance in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

The Spanish national was already excited for another shot at the IMS oval before some big news broke the other month.

“Then this other Spaniard decides to announce he's coming to the race," cracked Servia through a smile, referring to Fernando Alonso gaining a ride. “It brought the whole (European) spotlight on the 500, which a race that I have loved for many years."

Servia has proverbially carried the Spanish flag in the IndyCar series over the past decade with little help. Now, the addition of Alonso brings with it more attention for the series and for Servia as well.

“It's been amazing," he added. “Just in Spain alone, looking at the (media) clippings, I got 280 pages in two days. I think it's gonna put a lot of attention from around the world on the 500, so it's great.

Alonso is a two-time Formula 1 champion and remains a current driver in the series.

“With a big star like that coming and playing in our playground," says Servia, “it just brings the rest of the world's attention to it. I think it's great for us today and for the future. All those people will put their eyes on it for the first time and understand the magic of it, why I've been here 20 years. I came for one year, I've been racing 20 years. It's something in general that will help IndyCar get more fans around the world." Dave Griffiths/Fox59.com