Latest news with #Palou
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Instant Recall: Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto
INDYCAR Tire selection in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES can go a long way in deciding the outcome of races, and there is no better example than the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. Pato O'Ward and his Arrow McLaren strategists opted, like many of the drivers in Sunday's 90-lap race at Exhibition Place, to begin with a set of the less-preferred alternate Firestone Firehawks, and they switched out of them just as an early caution came. Meanwhile, series leader Alex Palou and his Chip Ganassi Racing crew, started with a set of the more durable primary compound, and then they were committed to them when that caution came at Lap 3. Palou's camp surely knew that O'Ward was gaining an early advantage. Ultimately, that moment didn't send O'Ward to victory lane or reduce Palou to finishing 12th, but it certainly set the stage for both eventual scenarios to unfold. Palou did his best to remain in contention, staying with that first set of primaries until Lap 40, but he was already boxed in. He still needed to use the alternates and O'Ward didn't. The decisions helped O'Ward slice 30 points off Palou's series lead. Palou still leads the season standings by a staggering 99 points – that's nearly two full races with four events to go – but a third consecutive championship and fourth in five years isn't the Spaniard's lock that it seemed to be a few days ago. Still, O'Ward will need a lot to break right for him to claim his first series title. Palou has two race wins each at the next two venues – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Portland International Raceway – while O'Ward won last year's race at The Milwaukee Mile. O'Ward also finished second in last year's race at Nashville Superspeedway – he was nine positions ahead of Palou in the return to that oval track – so he has that to be optimistic about. Simply put, O'Ward needs to gain similarly on Palou in three of the four remaining races and hold serve in the fourth. That's a big ask, but as O'Ward noted, anything is possible. Palou knows that, too. As for other takeaways from the street fight in Toronto: · The competition in this race was fierce and certainly worth the watch, with 226 on-track passes, the most for the event since 2014 and the fourth-most ever. A great majority of those overtakes – 201 – were for position, the most in the event since 2019. · In another example of making the right strategy call, Dale Coyne did it again, and driver Rinus VeeKay did the rest in a second-place finish. After starting a strong ninth, VeeKay led 16 laps, his first laps led on a street circuit or road course since this event in 2022 -- that was 1,068 days ago. Don't look now, but VeeKay is 11th in the standings and on the charge. · Kyffin Simpson continues to improve in his second season with Chip Ganassi Racing. This third-place finish was the highest of his career. Yes, strategy contributed to the result, but Simpson was plenty racy. · Andretti Global got mired in traffic with all the various pit stop strategies in play and couldn't defend its 1-2 finish of a year ago. But the team finished 4-5-6 with Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood, arguably its best group result of the year. · Kirkwood has to be kicking himself. He might have had a better chance had he qualified better than sixth. In that Firestone Fast Six session, he grazed the wall in Turn 2 but thought he had enough time to pit for additional fuel. But time ran out, and he didn't get to post a competitive lap time. He said that's two potential poles he has thrown away, the other coming in Detroit in June. · Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal had another strong Toronto run, finishing seventh for his seventh in the top 10 in his last nine races. He has now been top 10 in this event five consecutive years. · PREMA Racing continues to make gains. Callum Ilott was furious that other drivers kept creating local yellows in qualifying, and he finished that disjointed second round in the 11th position. He had a strong race, finishing eighth, and rookie teammate Robert Shwartzman ran as high as fifth in the middle part of the race. · There is no rest for the weary. The fifth race of this month is Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. For the truck drivers, it's a 2,733-mile trek from Toronto to the Monterey track, and that doesn't factor in a likely stop at team headquarters to regroup. The first practice for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey is at 5 p.m. ET Friday (FS2, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). Sunday's 95-lap race is at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. recommended Item 1 of 3
Fox News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
'Championship Is Not Over': Pato O'Ward Puts The Pressure On Alex Palou
TORONTO — Pato O'Ward had a comfortable lead over the final third of the race on the streets of Toronto, so he could have let his mind wander. He could have taken just a moment — maybe a second — to wonder how much he could cut into Alex Palou's championship lead on Sunday afternoon. But he didn't look to see where Palou was running. He didn't ask. That's how far the gap was coming into the race, and when he heard he had cut Palou's lead from 129 points to 99, O'Ward wasn't going to let the big hill that he still must climb ruin an afternoon where he earned his second victory in the last three races. Palou, who has seven wins this year, finished 12th. "It's only, like, [down to] 99," O'Ward said. "It's a good chunk. His good weekends are days like [mine] today. We need to make sure that we continue to have days like today. Not just one but a few. "I think we're going to keep this conversation going until Nashville. That's my goal." To keep the conversation running until the season finale at Nashville, O'Ward would need to be within 54 points of Palou. One of Palou's best tracks comes next weekend at Laguna Seca Raceway. Then the final three races are at Portland International Raceway, The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway. Palou won't be able to clinch at Laguna Seca. He would have to be 108 points ahead of O'Ward after Portland to clinch and 54 points ahead of O'Ward after Milwaukee to seal his third consecutive title and fourth overall. O'Ward is the only driver even remotely in the championship hunt. Kyle Kirkwood sits third in the standings at 173 points behind and Scott Dixon is 174 points behind. "Obviously, we're at a time in the championship where we're going to have to get a little bit more into the conversation of getting our elbows out because that's what I had to do today just to open the doors to having a chance to win this race," O'Ward said. "That's the only way we're even going to catch a whiff of making him sweat a little bit." Those elbows out included contact with Will Power. INDYCAR reviewed the move to see if O'Ward could have avoided it, as Power had slight contact with the barrier after knocking wheels with O'Ward. Pato was cleared of any wrongdoing and INDYCAR ruled it a racing incident. He felt bad for Power but also said the driver who is on the outside of two-wide in that corner is risking contact. "The problem is that it's such a fine line that you're battling with," O'Ward said. "You don't want to lose any positions. "When you're going through where you're full opposite lock [of the way you're turning], we basically hit square. When you hit tire to tire, both of our wheels got out of our hands. You had to, like, gather it back up." Power rallied back to finish 11th, one spot ahead of Palou. Today, Palou was a victim of strategy. He started on the primary tires early and then needed to run on the alternate tires longer than other drivers. He led early but then was mired in traffic for the second half of the race. "I chose the strategy," Palou said. "There [with the strategy] is what we did wrong today. I was pushing for that strategy. I thought it was going to give us the best opportunity to win. "The car was really fast. I wanted to be up front, trying to avoid being trapped in traffic. It happens. We knew it was going to be a risky strategy." McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said if it weren't for Palou, many would look at O'Ward as having a great season. He also said he believes in miracles. "Championship is not over," Brown said on the FOX broadcast prior to the race. "A miracle might need to happen. But miracles can happen. That's what makes the sport exciting." What the team must work on now is entering every race with full faith that they can pull off a win. Toronto, for example, typically hasn't been one of the better tracks for O'Ward. "I think the biggest challenge Pato and I have is to make everybody believe that no matter what, especially in INDYCAR, every time you take the green flag, that is an opportunity," said team principal Tony Kanaan. "We had a pretty good and intense meeting last night. I said, 'We got to believe it.' Days like this, it makes a big difference in our people. I think you give them an extra boost of confidence that we can do it, we can take the next step." That next step is more three-week stretches for O'Ward where he is battling for the win no matter the track. "You need a car that you can attack with and that you can pass people," O'Ward said. "I feel like you can't just always rely on strategy. If we just relied on strategy today, I think maybe we would catch a whiff of a podium. "But that's not enough. You need something to be able to really fight your way forward … It feels really good to earn it today. It really does. Especially in a place that's been a very tough weekend, basically every time we come here." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Canada News.Net
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Canada News.Net
Pato O'Ward wins in Toronto, inches toward Alex Palou in season race
(Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images) Mexico's Pato O'Ward eked out his second win in three weeks on Sunday at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, keeping alive his underdog chances to win the season championship. Alex Palou rode a dominant start to the season to a 129-point lead in the points race, the largest margin this deep in a season since IndyCar began using the scoring system. After the Spaniard finished 12th in Toronto, O'Ward sliced that deficit to 99 with four races to go. O'Ward started back in 10th but led 30 out of 90 laps in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and beat the Netherlands' Rinus VeeKay by 0.4843 seconds. Kyffin Simpson of the Cayman Islands was third, his first podium finish in two IndyCar seasons. 'I knew I had a great car under me to race with and the guys nailed it on the strategy,' O'Ward said in his post-race interview. That strategy was for O'Ward to start the race on his alternate set of tires before moving to his primary tires early on Lap 3. 'I was feeling so good on the (primary) tires all weekend really. We were just struggling to get the alternates to work in qualifying. Sadly, that's the one you need to transfer,' O'Ward said. Palou, conversely, started on his primary tires from the No. 2 position. The seven-time winner this year led 37 laps but faded down the stretch. 'Well, I chose the strategy, so that's what we did wrong today,' Palou said. 'I was pushing for that strategy. I thought it was going to give us the best opportunity to win. I wanted to be up front trying to avoid being trapped in traffic.' Simpson was the biggest mover of the day after starting the race 13th. 'It was a crazy race,' Simpson said. 'So many ups and downs. At one point we thought we were in the worst position, and then very quickly it turned into one of the best positions.'
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
'Championship Is Not Over': Pato O'Ward Puts The Pressure On Alex Palou
TORONTO — Pato O'Ward had a comfortable lead over the final third of the race on the streets of Toronto, so he could have let his mind wander. He could have taken just a moment — maybe a second — to wonder how much he could cut into Alex Palou's championship lead on Sunday afternoon. But he didn't look to see where Palou was running. He didn't ask. That's how far the gap was coming into the race, and when he heard he had cut Palou's lead from 129 points to 99, O'Ward wasn't going to let the big hill that he still must climb ruin an afternoon where he earned his second victory in the last three races. Palou, who has seven wins this year, finished 12th. "It's only, like, [down to] 99," O'Ward said. "It's a good chunk. His bad weekends are days like today. We need to make sure that we continue to have days like today. Not just one but a few. "I think we're going to keep this conversation going until Nashville. That's my goal." To keep the conversation running until the season finale at Nashville, O'Ward would need to be within 54 points of Palou. One of Palou's best tracks comes next weekend at Laguna Seca Raceway. Then the final three races are at Portland International Raceway, The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway. Palou won't be able to clinch at Laguna Seca. He would have to be 108 points ahead of O'Ward after Portland to clinch and 54 points ahead of O'Ward after Milwaukee to seal his third consecutive title and fourth overall. O'Ward is the only driver even remotely in the championship hunt. Kyle Kirkwood sits third in the standings at 173 points behind and Scott Dixon is 174 points behind. "Obviously, we're at a time in the championship where we're going to have to get a little bit more into the conversation of getting our elbows out because that's what I had to do today just to open the doors to having a chance to win this race," O'Ward said. "That's the only way we're even going to catch a whiff of making him sweat a little bit." Those elbows out included contact with Will Power. INDYCAR reviewed the move to see if O'Ward could have avoided it, as Power had slight contact with the barrier after knocking wheels with O'Ward. Pato was cleared of any wrongdoing and INDYCAR ruled it a racing incident. He felt bad for Power but also said the driver who is on the outside of two-wide in that corner is risking contact. "The problem is that it's such a fine line that you're battling with," O'Ward said. "You don't want to lose any positions. "When you're going through where you're full opposite lock [of the way you're turning], we basically hit square. When you hit tire to tire, both of our wheels got out of our hands. You had to, like, gather it back up." Power rallied back to finish 11th, one spot ahead of Palou. Today, Palou was a victim of strategy. He started on the primary tires early and then needed to run on the alternate tires longer than other drivers. He led early but then was mired in traffic for the second half of the race. "I chose the strategy," Palou said. "There [with the strategy] is what we did wrong today. I was pushing for that strategy. I thought it was going to give us the best opportunity to win. "The car was really fast. I wanted to be up front, trying to avoid being trapped in traffic. It happens. We knew it was going to be a risky strategy." McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said if it weren't for Palou, many would look at O'Ward as having a great season. He also said he believes in miracles. "Championship is not over," Brown said on the FOX broadcast prior to the race. "A miracle might need to happen. But miracles can happen. That's what makes the sport exciting." What the team must work on now is entering every race with full faith that they can pull off a win. Toronto, for example, typically hasn't been one of the better tracks for O'Ward. "I think the biggest challenge Pato and I have is to make everybody believe that no matter what, especially in INDYCAR, every time you take the green flag, that is an opportunity," said team principal Tony Kanaan. "We had a pretty good and intense meeting last night. I said, 'We got to believe it.' Days like this, it makes a big difference in our people. I think you give them an extra boost of confidence that we can do it, we can take the next step." That next step is more three-week stretches for O'Ward where he is battling for the win no matter the track. "You need a car that you can attack with and that you can pass people," O'Ward said. "I feel like you can't just always rely on strategy. If we just relied on strategy today, I think maybe we would catch a whiff of a podium. "But that's not enough. You need something to be able to really fight your way forward … It feels really good to earn it today. It really does. Especially in a place that's been a very tough weekend, basically every time we come here." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Item 1 of 1 Get more from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Mexico's O'Ward wins Toronto Indy to gain in title chase
Mexico's Pato O'Ward took the lead off a pit stop exchange with 27 laps remaining and captured Sunday's Indy Toronto to gain ground in the season points title chase. HT Image The 26-year-old from Monterrey crossed the finish line under caution after 90 laps over an 11-turn, 2.874-km (1.786-mile) temporary street course at Toronto's Exhibition Place. "I can't say I saw this one coming but I was feeling so good," O'Ward said. "I knew I had a great car under me to race with and the guys nailed it on the strategy." O'Ward took his ninth career IndyCar victory and second of the season after winning at Iowa last weekend. "I'm stoked for everybody," O'Ward said. "I would never have expected to have gotten this much better in Toronto because it has been the most challenging track for us in the past." Dutchman Rinus VeeKay was second with Kyffin Simpson of the Cayman Islands third, gaining 10 spots from the start for his first IndyCar podium, and US pole-sitter and defending champion Colton Herta fourth. Spain's Alex Palou, the Indianapolis 500 winner seeking his fourth season crown in five campaigns, finished 12th and saw his season points lead cut from 129 to 99 over O'Ward -- 536-437 with four races remaining in the season. Herta jumped into the lead at the start but after New Zealander Scott MacLaughlin's car lost the left rear wheel to bring out caution flags, Palou took over the lead. Palou stayed out while most cars pitted under caution on lap 34 after American Alexander Rossi brushed the wall, then was aided by a four-car crash moments later that allowed him to stretch fuel mileage. Palou pitted on lap 42 under caution, leaving VeeKay in the lead and Palou 14th when full-speed racing resumed on lap 43. VeeKay pitted on lap 58 but second-place O'Ward refueled on the next lap then returned to the course just ahead of the Dutchman. O'Ward took over the lead once rivals refueled and kept it to the finish. The next IndyCar race is next Sunday at Laguna Seca raceway in Monterey, California, with three final events next month at Portland, Milwaukee and Nashville. js/iwd
