Best in class: Pato O'Ward targeting 2nd-place IndyCar championship finish as his toughest tracks near
Magical wouldn't even begin to describe it. But the Arrow McLaren veteran would be plenty happy to take a win in class — the "drivers not named Alex Palou" class, that is. Such is the life of a championship contender competing against a three-time series champ who's in the midst of one of the most dominant campaigns a unified American open-wheel series has seen in recent memory.
'What's the gap, 129 points? So, Palou's just got to (crash) this weekend and next, and I've got to win both of them, and I might still be 60 or 70 points back,' O'Ward told IndyStar ahead of the Honda Indy on the streets of Toronto, a track and an event that historically marks the Mexican's worst on the calendar. 'Weirder things have happened.'
Though O'Ward's math is a bit off: if he were to win both races (at least 51 points each) and Palou crashed out of both (let's give him a generous 20th place for both, or 10 points each), O'Ward would be staring at just under a 50-point gap with three races to go — the odds of such an occurrence almost makes it moot. For starters, Palou arrives in Toronto this week with an average finish of fourth place in three career starts at the venue.
O'Ward? An average finishing position of 12th, including a pair of finishes outside the top 10 — both on race weekends where he failed to advance out of the first round of qualifying. Last year's 17th-place result distorts this picture a bit. After all, O'Ward was running in sixth late in the race when he slid into the tires on the exit of Turn 1 and sparked a massive pile up that ended his day well outside the top 10. But it's not a stretch to say it's maybe the track where he feels least comfortable and one where he's least confident of producing a result in a pressure-packed situation that could in any way keep him realistically alive in the championship.
And it's why, he said, Arrow McLaren has thrown the proverbial kitchen sink at his car ahead of this weekend.
'We called Rolls-Royce to get some of that amazing suspension they've got on their cars,' O'Ward joked in referencing to racing around what may be the bumpiest street circuit on the calendar. 'We're coming with something completely new, at least on my car, because I feel like if we just arrive with what we've had (before), we're just accepting defeat at that point, so we're just going to be hoping to get better.
'We don't have to be fighting for pole, but just every little bit we can get would be helpful.'
O'Ward finished Friday afternoon's practice seventh fastest on the timing charts. Maybe even more important to keep an eye on heading in Saturday's practice and qualifying, though, is his gap to the fastest cars — one that sits at seven tenths after practice No. 1.
On-track this weekend: What is the start time for the IndyCar race at Ontario Honda Dealers Indy in Toronto?
'Qualifying at street courses has been the challenge this year, but I'm kinda glad we're at one to try and end the year on a good note and help turn it into a good race. We can have a great weekend here, but it's going to take an improvement in all-around pace,' O'Ward said. 'This is a track that I've been to (three times), and (that gap to the front) is always five-tenths, and I don't get closer.
'Even as the track progresses, I keep progressing, but that (gap) stays the same (to the leaders). It's been such a difficulty and such a challenging place, just even to catch a whiff of the Fast 12. You know I'll be giggling if I'm in the Fast Six. That would mean we've found something.'
O'Ward's unlikely road to putting some serious pressure on Palou won't come easy even after heading back to the States, with two more permanent road courses up next, which the young Mexican driver has never scored even a podium in eight combined starts at Laguna Seca and Portland. Palou, on the other hand, has eight podiums in 11 combined starts at the next three tracks, including four wins and just a single result worse than sixth place.
And that's why O'Ward's hopes are realistic with just over a month to go in his 2026 campaign. Still, there's personal history to target, he pointed out.
'Hand him over to the world': How Pato O'Ward became IndyCar's biggest star
'I've never been second in the championship. I've always been fighting for it, but at the end of the year, there's always been things that get us out of the running, so it would be great to get that off the list,' he said, pointing to a third place championship finish (2021), a pair of fourth place runs (2020 and 2023), a fifth place finish (2024) and seventh (2022).
'So I've basically crossed all of them off except for (first or second), and second is the first step. I would've loved to be first, and we still don't know what it's going to be, but we're going to strive to keep building on this.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
This Ram 1500 truck maybe the most reliable of 2025 but is it worth buying? What to know
An American brand produces the most reliable pickup truck for 2025. The pickup truck segment is popular in America for several reasons. Trucks are capable vehicles that offer utility and reliability. Some trucks are more dependable than others due to their parts and design. Though there are plenty of great trucks to choose from in 2025, only one new truck is considered the most dependable. So, what's the most reliable truck of 2025 and is it worth getting? The 2025 Ram 1500 is the most reliable new pickup truck Ram's full-size light-duty pickup truck, the 1500, earned an 89% reliability score from J.D. Power. Additionally, there are currently no safety recalls for the 2025 Ram 1500. U.S. News & World Report lists the Ram 1500 as the most reliable truck for 2025 over rivals like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. Ram's full-size truck is known for its refined cabin and luxurious upper trim levels. Year after year, the Ram 1500 competes with the Ford F-150 for the title of best new pickup truck because of its affordability, versatility, and style. How much does a 2025 Ram 1500 cost? The 2025 Ram 1500 starts at $40,275 for the Tradesman base model. It comes in 10 different trims ending with the Tungsten final trim. Is the Ram 1500 a good truck? The 2025 Ram 1500 uses a 3.6-liter V6 engine to produce 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. It achieves 20 miles per gallon in the city and 25 miles per gallon on the highway. MotorTrend praises its "powerful, smooth engine" and says its interior is "loaded with features". It has a great ride quality for its segment and upper trims offer luxurious features. The Ram 1500 is a great new truck because it balances capability with comfort. The 2025 Ram 1500 vs. the competition Ram's full-size pickup truck rivals popular models like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan and more. It offers better driving dynamics and a more refined cabin than many of its rivals. The Ram 1500 isn't the most impressive in its segment in terms of performance specs. Toyota's Tundra has a more powerful base engine (348 horsepower). Furthermore, the Ford F-150 is the most efficient in its segment, achieving 23 miles per gallon combined. Ultimately, the Ram 1500 is the better truck for drivers who value an excellent suspension, great tech, and premium cabin materials. It can function as a work truck or a snazzy daily driver depending on the trim. Should you get a used Ram 1500? If a brand-new Ram 1500 seems out of your budget, getting a used model is a great way to take advantage of depreciation. A 2020 Ram 1500 with under 80,000 miles has a Kelley Blue Book fair purchase price of $25,512. The full-size pickup truck can last for 200,000 miles and beyond if it's well-maintained. The 2020 Ram 1500 is praised for its spacious cabin and unique suspension. Whether you're looking into a new or used model, the Ram 1500 provides great value for the money.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Colts' rookie, not named Tyler Warren, gets key opportunity on Day 1 of training camp
A Colts' rookie, not named Tyler Warren, got a key opportunity on Day 1 of training camp to work with the starters. It shouldn't come as a major surprise, given how offseason programs unfolded, but Indianapolis Colts' rookie cornerback Justin Walley was running with the ones during the first training camp practice, taking reps opposite of Charvarius Ward. "Well, he's a pretty damn good player," Shane Steichen said after practice. "He did some really good things in the spring, so he's going to compete at that spot." The reason that I say this shouldn't come as a surprise is because throughout OTAs and minicamp, Walley received a lot of high praise from both coaches and teammates for his play. A third-round pick by the Colts, Walley is a bit undersized, but hyper competitive and brings great speed to the position. His ability to play in man coverages, ball production, along with the Colts' viewing him as a versatile defender, make him a very good fit for Lou Anarumo's defensive scheme. 'That's a good thing for him, a good thing for us,' Ward said, via the Indy Star. 'He's balling as a young guy, he's only going to get better with more reps.' As GM Chris Ballard outlined on Tuesday, Walley, along with Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents, are competing for that starting spot. Ultimately, as Anarumo described earlier this offseason, he is looking for consistency.
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
U.S. automakers find little to cheer in Japan trade deal
U.S. automakers may not sell a lot of cars in Japan, even after a new trade pact between the two countries — but they're definitely worried about how the deal might disadvantage them at home. Why it matters: President Trump's promise to strengthen the U.S. auto sector often runs counter to his trade and policy actions, leaving automakers feeling frustrated and confused. Driving the news: The trade deal announced by the president includes a 15% "reciprocal" tariff on goods imported from Japan and $550 billion of Japanese investments in the U.S. "Perhaps most importantly," the president wrote on Truth Social, "Japan will open their Country to Trade including Cars and Trucks, Rice and certain other Agricultural Products, and other things." Reality check: Unfair tariffs are not what has prevented U.S. automakers from selling more cars in Japan, says S&P Global Mobility analyst Stephanie Brinley. "Japan hasn't had a tariff on imported vehicles," she tells Axios. The bigger problem is that American automakers don't produce the small cars that Japanese consumers prefer. It's also a right-hand-drive market, which requires extra engineering. Safety and emissions standards are different in Japan, too. In an interview with Bloomberg, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Japan will "take U.S. cars based on U.S. standards, so you don't have to make a different car" for the Japanese market. "You can take the car you make in Detroit, put it on a boat and send it," he said. But whether anyone in Tokyo will buy a Ford F-150 remains an open question. Zoom in: In the U.S. market, the new 15% tariff rate on Japanese cars will be lowered from the 25% Trump imposed on all imported vehicles earlier this year. But it's sharply higher than the 2.5% that Japanese carmakers had been paying before Trump took office. Between the lines: Trump has shifted trade war psychology, as Axios Macro authors Neil Irwin and Courtenay Brown noted. When a 25% tariff is on the table, striking a deal at 15% brings a collective sigh of relief to both investors and manufacturers. Japanese carmakers are signaling that they see it as a positive step that will remove uncertainty. Yes, but: It's American carmakers who are most upset. "Any deal that charges a lower tariff for Japanese imports with virtually no U.S. content than the tariff imposed on North American-built vehicles with high U.S. content is a bad deal for U.S. industry and U.S. auto workers," said Matt Blunt, head of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. What to watch: All automakers, including Japanese players, are anxious to see how the administration updates the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement. The administration is also negotiating deals with South Korea and the European Union that will be critical for automakers, not just for Korean or European brands. GM imported 419,000 vehicles from South Korea in 2024, including key models like the Chevrolet Trax and Trailblazer.
