IndyCar: Pato O’Ward championship would end 18-year drought
By Asher Fair
If Pato O’Ward overtakes Alex Palou to win the 2021 IndyCar championship, it would end a drought that began all the way back in the 2003 season.
Pato O’Ward is one of four drivers to become a first-time winner in the 2021 IndyCar season. The driver of the #5 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren SP, who finished in fourth place in the championship standings in his first season as a full-time driver last year, became a race winner back in early May in the second race at Texas Motor Speedway.
O’Ward then became the first driver to win two races this season by winning the second race at Belle Isle Street Circuit back in mid-June, a race that shot him to the top of the championship standings for the first time in his career and made him the third driver to lead the standings this year.
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Through 10 races, O’Ward sits in second place in the championship standings, 39 points behind Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, another driver who became a first-time winner this season and the only other driver who has won more than one race in 2021.
Palou is in his first season driving the #10 Honda, and he has a chance to extend a streak that dates back to 2003.
From 2003 to 2020, all IndyCar champions have driven for either Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske or Andretti Autosport (or Andretti Green Racing).
Take a look at the winners of the last 18 IndyCar championships.
- 2003 – Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2004 – Tony Kanaan, Andretti Green Raicng
- 2005 – Dan Wheldon, Andretti Green Racing
- 2006 – Sam Hornish Jr., Team Penske
- 2007 – Dario Franchitti, Andretti Green Racing
- 2008 – Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2009 – Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2010 – Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2011 – Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2012 – Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andretti Autosport
- 2013 – Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2014 – Will Power, Team Penske
- 2015 – Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2016 – Simon Pagenaud, Team Penske
- 2017 – Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
- 2018 – Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2019 – Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
- 2020 – Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
In 2001, none of those three teams even competed full-time in the Indy Racing League, and in 2002, the only one that did so was Team Penske.
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So if O’Ward is able to overtake Palou over the course of the season’s final six races and win the title, it would end this 18-year streak, making him the first driver for a team other than Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske or Andretti Autosport to win an IndyCar championship since 2002.
Sam Hornish Jr. won his first and second championships for Panther Racing in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, and he remains the most recent winner for a team other than Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske or Andretti Autosport to win the title.
Interestingly, as noted in the list above, he went on to win his third title for Team Penske in 2006, so he has contributed to this 18-year run.
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Will O’Ward close the gap to Palou in the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Street Circuit next Sunday, August 8? This race is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.