Pato O’Ward hopes to improve his best finish in the Indianapolis 500 by one position. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Wherever Pato O’Ward goes, the throngs of NTT IndyCar Series fans flock regardless of the track.
Whether it is the Streets of Long Beach or Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 24-year-old native of Monterey, Mexico and San Antonio, Texas is a genuine fan favorite. No matter if he is walking through Gasoline Alley or wrapping up an on-track session, O’Ward has made time for ardent open wheel racing enthusiasts.
By all means, O’Ward has the makings of being among INDYCAR’s top superstar legends like Tony Kanaan, Jimmy Vasser, Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr. No matter if the No. 5 Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team Dallara Chevrolet entry is in its familiar papaya orange and blue colors or a mostly black livery, eyes are likely on O’Ward as he pursues his first Indianapolis 500 win.
While the sixth year racer prepares for his fourth start in the crown jewel race, he perceives his interactions with fans as a means of creating memorable experiences and moments, even in the heat of a race weekend.
“You know, I just — we’re humans, like everybody else,” O’Ward said. “We’re not freaks of nature. We’re just another human being. When people are around and they might be your fan — like I’m a fan. I’m a fan of many people. You definitely leave the situation a lot different if you had like just a couple of exchange of words with your favorite race car driver or rider or whatever it might be versus if you don’t.
“You might leave kind of like, oh, kinda bummed. You can make someone’s year by two minutes. So I just try — I treat people like I’d like to be treated. I can have a bad day just like anybody else. It’s impossible to be on all the time, but I try and do so as much as I can.”
O’Ward hope his car can take to different scenarios as efficiently as possible. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
Throughout the Month of May, O’Ward has been steely eyed, concentrating intently on realizing a victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” So far, he has done his part to contend for the win, qualifying in the middle of Row 2 last Sunday.
Although O’Ward’s pace has not been blockbuster quick like that of Will Power or Takuma Sato, he has hovered near or inside the top 10 in the speed charts. Rather than vying for sheer, raw pace, it is about succeeding in a likely scenario for most of the field of 33 drivers.
“I want a good car in traffic,” he said. “That’s what I want. I don’t care if it’s hot or cold.”
As it stands, O’Ward and his on track peers will greet warm on track conditions amidst overcast skies on Sunday afternoon. When it comes down to it, having an adjustable car in traffic means just as much as car that cuts through the air in the lead.
Unlike most of his on track foes, O’Ward’s initial recollections of Indianapolis Motor Speedway are not from watching races at home.
“Well, I don’t don’t have much memories than actually driving here, which is the best memories to have,” O’Ward said. “This place is very special.”
Given these points, O’Ward has taken to Indianapolis efficiently, placing sixth, fourth and second in his prior three starts. Like Sam Posey recognizing Rick Mears’ timing with winning an Indianapolis 500, perhaps the Mexican racer can improve upon his runner-up result from last year by a single position in 2023.
Among the field of 33, O’Ward’s name has been brought up frequently as a pre-race favorite given his consistent, strong performances in the past two weeks. Still, he seemed a bit tentative as to where he stands against the other challengers.
“Are we going to be the best car, the second best car, fifth best, 10th best?” O’Ward asked. “You never know. I think there’s a lot of strong race cars out there where we’re definitely working hard and just getting the car in the best window that we can so we can have something to work with on race day for sure.”
Naturally, there are those considering the favorites, including the triumvirate at Team Penske with Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power along with the Chip Ganassi efforts of Marcus Ericsson, the defending winner, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Takuma Sato.
With an average finish of 4.0, O’Ward knows how to keep himself in the fight at Indy. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
However, it would be foolhardy to dismiss Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team’s O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, Felix Rosenqvist and Tony Kanaan. With the latter preparing to make his final start in the race, O’Ward has observed the jovial, upbeat nature of his teammate.
“You learn that no matter how old you are, you’ll always be a kid at heart,” he said with a smile.
Editor’s Notes
Luis Torres contributed to this article directly on-site from Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
