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 skin 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,” mentioned O’Ward in Arrow McLaren’s post-qualifying media report. “I instructed my household yesterday that my purpose was to be beginning on the skin of the entrance row. Clearly, I might’ve beloved pole, nevertheless it’s a tall activity. You simply by no means know right here, it’s at all times a shock.
O’Ward additionally paid tribute to pole-sitter Shwartzman and his crew, Prema Racing. Shwartzman grew to become 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 executed, it’s an unbelievable story.”
Nevertheless, O’Ward believes he and the No. 5 crew are “proper there” within the combine for subsequent Sunday.
“As for us, we’re proper there. We’ve had a fast automotive 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 are able to make occur,” added O’Ward.
He is not going to 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 High 12 run not realizing what to anticipate with the stability, and we ended up much more pushy than we have been this morning,” mentioned Lundgaard. “We needed to provide Pato a few of that data for his run, and he made it by way of to the Firestone Quick 6. Congrats to the No. 5 crew. 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 executed right here.
“A number of good to come back.”
Arrow McLaren Workforce Principal Tony Kanaan paid tribute to your entire crew.
“It’s been a stable month to date, and qualifying all vehicles into the sector is the purpose. Should you have a look at our qualifying outcomes final 12 months, we had three vehicles within the high twelve, and at present we put two there, however we’re within the entrance row. Completely different 12 months, completely different situations,” started Kanaan. “However you’ve bought Nolan [Siegel] as a rookie within the race as a result of he didn’t make it by way of 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 crew doing a terrific job for us; he’s by no means actually had a robust automotive on the Speedway, so his laps have been fairly spectacular. We can’t deny that with our group of drivers we’ve that Pato is essentially the most skilled and due for the entrance row. We knew that he may ship for us. I’m pleased with the end result, though the race automotive driver in me is a little bit 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 happy with everybody on this Arrow McLaren crew. We’ve been setting the tone with our marketing campaign this month with the white vehicles, and you’ll see all of the papaya followers out right here. The group was loopy at present. Now we get to take the entrance row picture tomorrow, and Pato and the crew are going to get pleasure from that.
“Then we’ll win the race subsequent week.”
