WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Nobody can accuse Alexander Rossi of lucking into this win. No one can chalk up this victory to a little luck and crafty strategy. No one can tell him the best man didn’t win, because at Watkins Glen, there was no team better than the men wearing NAPA blue and gold.

“The difference (between the 2016 Indianapolis 500 win) and today is we had the dominant car,” said Rossi after winning the second race of his career Sunday.

They weren’t just dominant on race day, though. Rossi’s win was the natural conclusion to the No. 98 Andretti Autosport crew’s assault on the race weekend.

From the moment they arrived in New York on Thursday, they boasted the fastest car on the track. The 25-year-old California native was one of three drivers to finish in the top five in both practices on Friday, scored the pole on Saturday and led 32 of 60 laps Sunday en route to picking up that elusive first win of the 2017 season.

He even overcame an early fuel pump issue and held off a late-charging and heavily favored Scott Dixon to do it.

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For Rossi, though, the win was about more than just getting on the board in 2017. It was a culmination of everything he’s believed about his team’s progression this year and the reason he re-signed with Andretti Autosport last week despite enticing offers elsewhere.

“In the past two or three months, we’ve been operating at a higher level than we ever have,” Rossi told The Indianapolis Star recently. “Today I was finally able to prove what I’d been talking about over the past couple months.”

Of course, the win means little to his still mathematically possible championship hopes this season, so consider Sunday’s win a declaration of future intentions, a warning shot to the rest of the paddock: 2017 is the final year where an Alexander Rossi win doesn’t have championship implications.

“We’re coming really hard for 2018,” said Rossi, who ended Andretti’s Autosport’s more than two-year winless drought on street and road courses. “This win was critical for the future. It’s getting another monkey off our back. Toronto was getting that podium kind of out of the way. We were able to get the pole out of the way (Saturday) and the race win (Sunday).

“The confidence of the whole 98 team is at an all-time high. … Obviously we have one race left, but as we start to look and prepare and look for 2018, to be able to end the season on such a high note is pretty special going into the off-season.”

The win at Watkins Glen, one of Rossi’s favorite courses in the world, served another purpose, too — It helped him grow a little more comfortable in victory lane.

“We’ve ticked the boxes now,” Rossi said. “The next time I win the 500, I know what to do. Next time I get pole, I know what to do. The next time I win a race that’s not the 500, I know what to do.

“I feel like we’re good. I feel like the learning curve should be over, unless — I guess if it all works out that I win a championship one day, that will be another experience. But I’ll pay attention to the winner this year and mimic.”

Based on the way he drove Sunday, the day he celebrates his first championship could be just around the corner.

Wide open championship heading to Sonoma

Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud aren’t the kind of people to smile at others’ misfortunes, but there had to be fewer people in New York happier than them after points leader Josef Newgarden collided with the wall coming out of pit lane.

Because of the damage incurred in the wreck, Newgarden was forced to pit and fell behind the rest of the pack, resulting in an 18th-place finish.

Dixon, meanwhile, finished second and climbed to within three points of the championship, meaning he controls his own destiny two weeks from now at the double-points race in Sonoma on Sept. 17 (6:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network). A win there, and he doesn’t need any help clinching his fifth series championship.

Ryan-Hunter-Reay finished third, just ahead of Castroneves, who closed to within 22 points of his Penske teammate Newgarden in the championship. Castroneves was not happy his young teammate crashed, but he was happy that the crash puts him in good position to win the first championship of his career.

PHOTO GALLERIES OF TITLE CONTENDERS:

Scott Dixon through the years

Josef Newgarden through the years

Helio Castroneves through the years

Simon Pagenaud through the years

“It’s mixed feelings,” Castroneves said. “I’m a human being and am looking after myself, but I don’t wish anything bad on anyone, because that comes back double to you. But he’s still in the lead, which is great. But now we have another guy close, so we’re going to do everything we can to bring another championship to Roger (Penske).”

The other guy Castroneves is referring to is reigning series champion Simon Pagenaud, who finished ninth Sunday and closed to within 34 points of Newgarden. While Pagenaud’s odds aren’t as good as the three drivers ahead of him, IndyCar and its fans can absolutely look forward to a compelling four-horse race come the final weekend in Sonoma.

Ayello writes for The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.

INDYCAR GRAND PRIX AT THE GLEN

Sunday from the 3.37-mile road course at Watkins Glen International (starting position in parentheses):

1. (1) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 60 laps.

2. (2) Scott Dixon, Honda, 60.

3. (7) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 60.

4. (6) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 60.

5. (10) Graham Rahal, Honda, 60.

6. (8) Will Power, Chevrolet, 60.

7. (5) Charlie Kimball, Honda, 60.

8. (19) Max Chilton, Honda, 60.

9. (12) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 60.

10. (11) Carlos Munoz, Chevrolet, 60.

11. (14) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 60.

12. (13) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 60.

13. (15) Ed Jones, Honda, 60.

14. (18) Jack Harvey, Honda, 60.

15. (21) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 60.

16. (20) Marco Andretti, Honda, 60.

17. (9) Sebastien Bourdais, Honda, 60.

18. (3) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 58.

19. (4) Takuma Sato, Honda, 56.

20. (17) Tony Kanaan, Honda, 46, contact.

21. (16) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 5, mechanical.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 118.865 mph.

Time of Race: 1:42:03.9024.

Margin of Victory: 0.9514 seconds.

Cautions: 4 for 9 laps.

Lead Changes: 8 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders: Rossi 1, Castroneves 2-14, Pigot 15-22, Rossi 23, Hunter-Reay 24-27, Rossi 28-42, Dixon 43-44, Newgarden 45, Rossi 46-60.

Points: Newgarden 560, Dixon 557, Castroneves 538, Pagenaud 526, Power 492, Rossi 476, Rahal 466, Sato 421, Kanaan 375, Hunter-Reay 373.