Pato O’Ward has by no means began on the entrance row for the Indianapolis 500.
Till this 12 months.
The Arrow McLaren driver booked a spot within the Firestone Quick Six with a robust run throughout the Quick 12 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and whereas he couldn’t catch Robert Shwartzman or Takuma Sato forward of him, O’Ward completed third within the Firestone Quick 6, and can begin on the surface of the entrance row within the 109th Indianapolis 500.
Which is precisely the place he needed to be.
“I’ve by no means been on the entrance row for an Indy 500, so that is nice. That is actually what I needed,” stated O’Ward in Arrow McLaren’s post-qualifying media report. “I informed my household yesterday that my purpose was to be beginning on the surface of the entrance row. Clearly, I’d’ve beloved pole, nevertheless it’s a tall activity. You simply by no means know right here, it’s all the time a shock.
O’Ward additionally paid tribute to pole-sitter Shwartzman and his staff, Prema Racing. Shwartzman turned the primary rookie to take pole place since Teo Fabi again on the 1983 Indianapolis 500, and the younger driver did so throughout his first race weekend at an oval.
That is additionally Prema’s first 12 months in IndyCar.
“I feel it’s phenomenal what Prema and Shwartzman have finished, it’s an unimaginable story.”
Nevertheless, O’Ward believes he and the No. 5 staff are “proper there” within the combine for subsequent Sunday.
“As for us, we’re proper there. We’ve had a fast automobile all month, and we’re going to proceed to have it within the race. We’re going to maintain engaged on that and see what we will make occur,” added O’Ward.
He won’t be the one Arrow McLaren driver within the first three rows when the 109th Indianapolis 500 begins subsequent Sunday. Teammate Christian Lundgaard was within the Quick 12 with O’Ward on Sunday, and whereas he couldn’t advance to the Firestone Quick 6, he’ll begin the five hundred in P8.
His earlier greatest begin was twenty eighth, which got here final 12 months.
That was a fairly good day. We went out to the Prime 12 run not understanding what to anticipate with the steadiness, and we ended up much more pushy than we have been this morning,” stated Lundgaard. “We needed to present Pato a few of that data for his run, and he made it by to the Firestone Quick 6. Congrats to the No. 5 staff. On the finish of the day, the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet will begin eighth, which is rather a lot higher than I’ve beforehand finished right here.
“Lots of good to come back.”
Arrow McLaren Crew Principal Tony Kanaan paid tribute to the complete staff.
“It’s been a stable month to date, and qualifying all automobiles into the sphere is the purpose. In the event you have a look at our qualifying outcomes final 12 months, we had three automobiles within the high twelve, and right this moment we put two there, however we’re within the entrance row. Completely different 12 months, totally different circumstances,” started Kanaan. “However you’ve bought Nolan [Siegel] as a rookie within the race as a result of he didn’t make it by qualifying final 12 months. With Kyle [Larson], we went a bit conservative contemplating the circumstances all through the previous week.
“Christian is new to the staff doing an amazing job for us; he’s by no means actually had a robust automobile on the Speedway, so his laps have been fairly spectacular. We can not deny that with our group of drivers now we have that Pato is probably the most skilled and due for the entrance row. We knew that he may ship for us. I’m proud of the end result, though the race automobile driver in me is just a little mad we’re not on pole, nevertheless it’s Pato’s first entrance row begin. In order that’s gratifying to see.
Kanaan then closed his remarks with a prediction for the five hundred.
“I’m pleased with everybody on this Arrow McLaren staff. We’ve been setting the tone with our marketing campaign this month with the white automobiles, and you’ll see all of the papaya followers out right here. The group was loopy right this moment. Now we get to take the entrance row photograph tomorrow, and Pato and the staff are going to take pleasure in that.
“Then we’ll win the race subsequent week.”
