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IndyCar: Patricio O’Ward to drive for Carlin at Road America

By Asher Fair

SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Patricio O'Ward of Mexico driver of the #8 Harding Racing Chevrolet during qualifying for the Verizon IndyCar Series Sonoma Grand Prix at Sonoma Raceway on September 15, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Patricio O'Ward of Mexico driver of the #8 Harding Racing Chevrolet during qualifying for the Verizon IndyCar Series Sonoma Grand Prix at Sonoma Raceway on September 15, 2018 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /
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Patricio O’Ward is set to drive for Carlin in the REV Group Grand Prix at Road America despite rumors that his rookie IndyCar season may be over.

Carlin rookie Patricio O’Ward is set to make his scheduled start in this Sunday afternoon’s IndyCar race, the REV Group Grand Prix at Road America, despite rumors that his rookie season may be over due to a lack of funding.

O’Ward’s start in this 55-lap race around the 14-turn, 4.048-mile (6.515-kilometer) Road America natural terrain road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin is set to be the seventh of his 10 scheduled starts this year.

Here is what O’Ward had to say about the matter, according to IndyStar.

"“As of now, we are just working really hard to find backing to continue after Road America. Thanks to Trevor (Carlin) and Mr. (Grahame) Chilton, I’ll be racing in Road America and for that I am so, so grateful. It’s been so, so, so hard. I can’t believe we haven’t found any help. Because I really feel like I’ve gotten every bit of juice out of the that car every weekend.”"

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The 20-year-old Mexican was originally slated to compete in 13 races this season, but he signed with the Red Bull Junior Team before failing to qualify for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and shortly thereafter, his scheduled starts at Iowa Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway were canceled.

Following this Sunday afternoon’s race, O’Ward is scheduled to compete in the races at Exhibition Place, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Portland International Raceway on Sunday, July 14, Sunday, July 28 and Sunday, September 1, respectively. However, with funding still an issue, this is all subject to change.

In six starts so far this season, O’Ward has recorded a top starting position of seventh place for the first race at the Raceway on Belle Isle and a top finish of eighth in the race at Circuit of the Americas. His average starting position is 11.5, his average finishing position is 13.3 and he sits in 22nd in the championship standings.

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NBC is set to broadcast the REV Group Grand Prix at Road America live beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 23, and the race itself, which is the 10th of 17 races on the 2019 IndyCar schedule, is scheduled to begin shortly thereafter at roughly 12:30 p.m. ET.