A beaming Ryan Hunter-Reay stood on a replica IndyCar in New York's Times Square and pointed at a huge likeness of himself looming over the city streets, proclaiming “Yesterday, I was next, today I'm now!”.

The Rahal Letterman Racing driver was responding to the I Am Next tagline on the massive billboard, unveiled earlier this week by American clothing manufacturer IZOD to mark its new association with the IndyCar Series. The apparel company recently announced a personal sponsorship with Hunter-Reay, who took his first IRL win at Watkins Glen on Sunday, as well as one with the Indy Racing League, which led to the driver's face flying above Broadway.

“It's surreal,” Hunter-Reay admitted, “To go into the most famous - and busiest - intersection in America and see a 90-foot image of myself was like a dream, but it was actually crazier to see my name up there than it was to see my picture.”

As the posed shots with the billboard were taken, a crane carried a lone man in front of Hunter-Reay's likeness and stopped in front of the tagline. Opening two large cans of spray paint, the man crossed out the word 'Next' from the phrase and inserted a replacement - 'Now' - above it.

“To see the billboard changed like that was really cool, and I still can't believe that it worked out like that, that we won the race on the weekend we announce our partnership,” Hunter-Reay said, before reflecting on the fact that his moment of glory is likely to be fleeting as the IndyCar schedule presses on through the summer.

“It's going to be time to get back to work in a day or two, because Nashville is coming fast and we intend to be ready to run well.”

"I don't think there's any question that the intensity level of this series has been ratcheted up. All of a sudden, now to qualify in the top ten or twelve is a real accomplishment. That's what you want, everything coming together. It's amazing how tight the competition is. I'm so happy it's this way."

Hunter-Reay overtook leader erstwhile Darren Manning into turn one with nine laps remaining in the Camping World Grand Prix and held off challenges by Manning and Tony Kanaan after one final restart to claim a maiden victory in only his 16th IndyCar race. His previous best was sixth at Indianapolis this year, which earned the Chase Rookie of the Year award and mirrored a similar result at Michigan last August, but there had been signs of a breakthrough, including competing for second at Texas before a late-race incident.

"At the beginning of the year, Bobby [Rahal] told me to go out there and make something of this," Hunter-Reay said of the opportunity to drive the Ethanol car that had come about when Jeff Simmons was released by the team, "and to make something of building this team around myself.

"We all get along so great. It's really a special thing to be a part of. The fact that we've been building and get faster and faster and faster is a neat thing. And to finally win is huge."