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 strictly 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 aim was to be beginning on the skin of the entrance row. Clearly, I might’ve liked pole, but it surely’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 believe it’s phenomenal what Prema and Shwartzman have executed, it’s an unbelievable story.”
Nonetheless, 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 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 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 finest 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 had been this morning,” mentioned Lundgaard. “We needed to offer Pato a few of that info for his run, and he made it by way of 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 loads higher than I’ve beforehand executed right here.
“Loads of good to come back.”
Arrow McLaren Crew Principal Tony Kanaan paid tribute to your complete staff.
“It’s been a strong month to date, and qualifying all vehicles into the sector is the aim. Should you have a look at our qualifying outcomes final 12 months, we had three vehicles within the high twelve, and right this moment we put two there, however we’re within the entrance row. Totally different 12 months, completely different circumstances,” started Kanaan. “However you’ve obtained 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 staff doing an incredible job for us; he’s by no means actually had a robust automotive on the Speedway, so his laps had been fairly spectacular. We can not deny that with our group of drivers we have now that Pato is essentially the most skilled and due for the entrance row. We knew that he might ship for us. I’m proud of the outcome, though the race automotive driver in me is a bit of mad we’re not on pole, but it surely’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 vehicles, 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.”
