INDYCAR: Aleshin - 'I just love' oval racing

He's not exactly sure when it happened, but Mikhail Aleshin has fallen in love with oval-track racing.

"I don't want to say I have a feel for the ovals or it will turn around and bite me, but I just love it,"  Aleshin after leading a race-high 87 laps and finishing a career-best second in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.

"I like the speed and the intensity and I just think it's proper racing. I love [racing] at the Indianapolis 500 and I really like this Pocono track too. I feel very lucky to be able to drive in them."

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The 30-year-old native of Moscow won his initial pole on Saturday, and his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda was the class of the field for the first half of the 200-lap race.

"It was a great day, but it could have been greater if I was on that top step," he said after losing by 1.1 seconds to Will Power. "I wanted it so bad and my team did such a great job, but I just couldn't catch Will at the end.

"And, to be fair, he deserved it more than me because his car was faster."

But that didn't mean Aleshin wasn't trying during those last 15 laps when he charged from fourth to draw a bead on Power.

"I've gotten better and better as this season has progressed and my confidence is good," he continued. "And I needed it a few times at the end because I was really on the edge trying to run Will down.

"Turn 3 was very tough because of the wind and it changed almost every lap so it wasn't easy, but I like that."

The Madder Russian nearly died during practice for the 2014 season finale at Fontana and credits the Holmatro Safety Team with saving his life on the track. Despite having to overcome serious injuries, it obviously hasn't slowed him down.

"Big credit to Mikhail for withstanding those injuries; it's tough on ovals because those walls are always smiling at you," said Ryan Hunter-Reay, who charged from last to third place in Monday's race. "He's done a helluva job."

Aleshin leaned over and said: "Ryan, I am Russian."

To which Hunter-Reay smiled and replied: "The assassin always comes back."