IndyCar: Pato O’Ward ends one huge drought, eyes another

By Asher Fair | Oct 27, 2020

Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP, IndyCar - Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports /

Pato O’Ward’s first full season of IndyCar competition with Arrow McLaren SP resulted in his achievement of a feat which hadn’t happened in several years.

By IndyCar‘s definition of “rookie”, Pato O’Ward earned his stripes in 2019 as a part-time driver for Carlin, despite not even competing in half the races. By our definition of “full-time rookie”, O’Ward earned those stripes in 2020 competing for Arrow McLaren SP behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet.

And what an amazing maiden full season he had.

The 21-year-old Mexican failed to win a race, but he easily could have claimed as many as four victories at Road America, Iowa Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

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He finished in fourth place in the championship standings, and in doing so, he pulled off something that hadn’t been pulled off in several seasons.

O’Ward, a Chevrolet driver, finished ahead of a Team Penske driver. No — make that two Team Penske drivers.

Chevrolet teams have won 33 of the last 66 races, and Team Penske drivers have still been responsible for all 33 of those victories. O’Ward finished in second place in two of those victories throughout the final six races of the 2020 season, and he has positioned himself to end that streak next year, having re-signed with Arrow McLaren SP for 2021.

The most recent Chevrolet win for a non-Team Penske deriver came in September of 2016, when Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon won at Watkins Glen International before the team switched back to Honda for 2017.

But despite not ending that streak, O’Ward still ended another. Not since 2016 had a Chevrolet driver competing for a team other than Team Penske beaten a Team Penske driver in the championship standings.

In 2016, Team Penske swept the top three with Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Helio Castroneves. But three other Chevrolet drivers, Ed Carpenter Racing’s Josef Newgarden (fourth place) and Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dixon (sixth) and Tony Kanaan (seventh), finished ahead of Team Penske’s Juan Pablo Montoya (eighth).

In 2017, Newgarden replaced Montoya, and all four Team Penske drivers finished in the top five, with Ed Carpenter Racing’s J.R. Hildebrand leading the rest of the Chevrolet drivers in 15th place. In 2018, all three Team Penske drivers (Castroneves left after 2017) finished in the top six, and Ed Carpenter Racing’s Spencer Pigot led the rest of the Chevrolet drivers in 14th.

Pigot again led the rest of the Chevrolet drivers in 14th place in 2019 with the three Team Penske drivers in the top five.

This year, however, Newgarden finished in second place and O’Ward finished in fourth, ahead of both Power in fifth and Pagenaud in eighth. Not since 2015 when Dixon won the championship had a non-Team Penske Chevrolet drive finished ahead of multiple Team Penske drivers.

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The 2021 IndyCar season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, where O’Ward finished in second place in 2020. Will he find victory lane for the first time next year and end Team Penske’s Chevrolet reign of dominance?