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A year ago at this point, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’ward had a dream.
When he closed his eyes at night, O’ward Pakinomist told Digital that he would dream of crossing the finish line on the Indy 500 before the rest of his competition.
“I continue to run more Indy 500s in my head. It’s crazy,” he said last May. “You’re trying to tone it down as much as you can, but this ran … it’s unlike something else.”
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Arrow McLaren -Driver Pato O’ward, No. 5, gives the thumb up to a group of children on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 during a practice for the 109th operation of Indianapolis 500 on Indianapoli’s Motor Speedway. (IMagn)
The dream looked like it was about to come true when “the biggest sight in Racing” So O’ward, who led with a lap, had to go until Josef Newgarden came flying from behind and past McLaren Black and Orange Car to get away with the victory.
Instead of celebrating victory on “The Brickyard”, O’ward was falling over his vehicle as his team tried to comfort him. For the second time in three years, O’ward was Runner-Up.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’ward confident as he dreams of the first Indy 500 -Sejr: ‘We have a shot’
“I mean, at that moment it was a moment that a lot of emotions were kind of exploding out of a bottle and they were really uncontrollable,” he told Pakinomist Digital recently before the big race on Memorial Day weekend. “It was a very raw scene of what it is like to be right there, but just miss it. It has been a few times that it has happened, so that’s why I think it was so heavy feeling.
“I dedicate and do everything for this moment, and sometimes it’s right there, but haven’t quite got it. It’s just the human side of it, I’ll say.”
Despite the results of the last few years in Indianapolis, O’Wars have optimistic views on his profession did not falter into this year’s race.
“I mean, this time last year I had like three [did not finish] At this point, ”he said, while he laughed.
“It’s one of the only months all year when you really enjoy the present and you’re not focused on the future, you’re not focused on the past. You’re just focused on where you’re on. It’s a very amazing experience.”
Arrow McLaren SP -Driver Pato O’ward, #5, crosses the finish line second Saturday, May 10, 2025 during the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (IMagn)
The plug of defeat is something that almost never leaves the mind, even a whole year after it happens. But with every failure comes an opportunity to learn, and that’s exactly what O’ward gets from last year’s finish.
“You have to be in front of the last stint,” he said when asked what he learned from last year’s runner-up finish. “The last stint is super important, but also a race that can turn a lap to someone else just because of a yellow flag that falls. There are many different strategies going on, and it’s a race that constantly wants you to be flexible, supple. You have to adjust sails instead of going against it.”
In five starts this season, O’ward is still looking for his first win, though he has two top-five and three top-10 finishes. As a result, he is currently ranked like fourth in the NTT Indycar series.
Maybe his best race in the year at the 2025 Grand Prix in Indianapolis came this past weekend, ending Runner-Up behind Alex Palou.
While O’ward is not currently dreaming of celebrating with his Arrow McLaren team, kissing the famous courtyard and chugging some milk that it is usual for the master, it is behind his mind somewhere.
That moment is what continues to drive him, especially by knowing how close he was to realizing this dream.
Arrow McLaren -Driver Pato O’ward, #5, responds after completing number two Sunday 26 May 2024 in the 108th operation of the Indianapolis 500 on Indianapoli Motor Speedway. (IMagn)
“I think at this point, it’s a combination of a lot of different things, but it’s not been a reason like ‘Hi, we’ve been lucky to have these options.’ No, we have set ourselves in these opportunities and we have earned ourselves the position to have these opportunities, ”he said. “I think it alone just gives me a peace of mind with my core team. We know how to do this, we know how to put ourselves in positions to win this race.
“I think, inside it gives us a lot of confidence that we are not looking for something that we have never been to, or we are not looking for something that has not done.”
Indy 500 will be released on May 25 on Fox with pre-coverage, which starts at 1 p.m. 10 et. It will also be available to stream live on Foxsports.com and the Fox Sports app.
