Indycar

O’Ward Takes Series Lead with Long Drive
to Victory in Detroit Thriller

DETROIT (Sunday, June 13, 2021) – Pato O’Ward took the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points lead with a drive full of championship-caliber mettle, passing Josef Newgarden with three laps remaining to win the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit Race 2 on Sunday at Belle Isle Park.

O’Ward, 22, became the first two-time winner this season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES after the first seven races opened with different winners. He also won the XPEL 375 on May 2 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Mexican driver O’Ward, who started 16th, powered away from two-time series champion Newgarden’s No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet after the decisive pass in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and drove to victory by 6.7595 seconds. He leads the championship by one point over Alex Palou, who finished third in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda.

O’Ward dedicated his win to teammate Felix Rosenqvist, forced to sit out this race due to a heavy crash in Race 1 Saturday, and longtime McLaren Racing shareholder Mansour Ojjeh, who died June 6.

“I talked to Felix this morning, and the important thing is that he’s OK, but I told him, ‘I’m going to win it for you,’” O’Ward said. “So, this is for him and for Mansour.”

Colton Herta finished fourth in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. Graham Rahal placed fifth in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda – identical to his finish Saturday in Race 1.

Detroit Race 1 winner Marcus Ericsson finished ninth in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, slowed by contact with Rinus VeeKay’s No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet in a duel for position on Lap 15.

O’Ward’s charge to the front was breathtaking from the 16th starting position. He passed six cars and jumped to 10th in the opening five laps while racing on the Firestone alternate “red” tires.

But the charismatic O’Ward saved his best maneuvers for last.

Romain Grosjean stopped on course with a small fire in his left front brake on Lap 59, triggering the last of three full-course cautions in the race. On the restart on Lap 63, O’Ward was fifth behind Newgarden, Herta, Palou and Rahal.

But O’Ward dove under Rahal in Turn 1 for fourth and then devoured Palou and Herta for second place with defiant, but clean, maneuvers on the same lap.

Then O’Ward set sail for Newgarden while keeping his eye on his mirrors for Herta’s pressure from behind. Herta locked up trying to pass O’Ward for second with three laps to go, effectively ending his chances for victory.