IndyCar: Patricio O’Ward news coming this Friday?
By Asher Fair
News pertaining to Patricio O’Ward’s 2019 IndyCar season could be on its way tomorrow. Will the 19-year-old Mexican land a ride?
From a few days after the 2018 IndyCar season wrapped up this past September until a few weeks ago, Patricio O’Ward was set to compete in IndyCar on a full-time basis this season as one of Harding Steinbrenner Racing’s two drivers.
The 19-year-old Mexican made his IndyCar debut in the 2018 season finale at Sonoma Raceway, and after starting that race in fifth place and driving his #8 Chevrolet to an impressive ninth place finish, he was announced as one of the team’s two drivers for the 2019 season along with Colton Herta, who also made his IndyCar debut driving for Harding Racing in this race.
But while Herta is still set to drive the #88 Chevrolet-turned-Honda on a full-time basis in the 2019 season, O’Ward lost his ride as the driver of the team’s #8 Chevrolet-turned-Honda a few weeks ago due to funding issues.
While he received an offer to drive for Andretti Autosport in eight races of the 17-race season, O’Ward has not officially accepted nor rejected it, and there have been no public discussions of potential rides for him with other teams at this point.
But after nearly one month of waiting, this could change tomorrow.
EL VIERNES TENDREMOS NOTICIAS SOBRE EL FUTURO DE PATO OWARD ,TE DESEAMOS MUCHO ÉXITO AMIGO!!!FUENTE ;; DON MARCO TOLAMA
Posted by Juan Carlos Guzman on Wednesday, March 6, 2019
O’Ward tweeted about being on the Marshall Pruett Podcast on Friday ahead of Sunday’s 2019 season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, but he did not say whether or not an announcement pertaining to landing a ride would be made at this time.
If you are in @GPSTPETE , join us on friday! @marshallpruett pic.twitter.com/6gwXTUszg0
— Pato O'Ward (@PatricioOWard) March 4, 2019
However, his reply to one of the comments on this post has fans believing that an announcement is indeed on its way despite the fact that it will not pertain to the season opener itself.
Due to the late timing of my release it was almost impossible to make something happen for St. Pete, but there’s better chances for Austin!
— Pato O'Ward (@PatricioOWard) March 4, 2019
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O’Ward does have a $1 million scholarship at his disposal as a result of the fact that he won the 2018 Indy Lights championship, guaranteeing him entries in at least three of the 17 races on the 2019 IndyCar schedule, including the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Memorial Day Sunday in May.
O’Ward won the 2018 Indy Lights championship as a rookie by winning nine of the season’s 17 races. In the other eight races, he recorded four podium finishes, two additional fourth place finishes and two additional seventh place finishes.
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Will Patricio O’Ward announce a deal to compete in IndyCar on some level throughout the 2019 season tomorrow? If so, for which team or teams and in which races do you believe he will compete? We should know at least partial answers to these questions tomorrow if all goes as it appears to be planned.