INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pato O'Ward was about to head through the tunnel leading from Gasoline Alley to pit road at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday when he made an abrupt right-hand turn and headed down a very different sort of alleyway.
One made up of screaming kids, all wearing papaya-colored caps and forming a human tunnel with outstretched hands.
Ever a man of the people, O'Ward proceeded through them with his own hands outstretched, giving a hundred-plus high-fives in the time it takes to change four tires and fuel an IndyCar. Then, the Mexican driver turned around and dashed back, ultimately to the track for the final practice before this weekend's qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.
“Did you see him?" squealed one of the kids from Monarca Academy, a predominantly Hispanic school in Indianapolis.
It's hard to miss him.
Indeed, just about everywhere O'Ward goes, he seems to draw a crowd. Hundreds of fans will stand for hours in the sweltering sun outside the Arrow McLaren garage to catch a glimpse of him. And when they start singing O'Ward's name, planning sessions and debriefs have been put on pause so that he can give them what they want.
Might be one of those high-fives. Or a quick picture. Or an autograph.
Perhaps scrawled across one of the cardboard promos of O'Ward that folks keep stealing from the local supermarkets.
“It's grown a lot, really,” O'Ward said of his stardom. “Last year's Indy 500 was a big step in that, I would say.”
After finishing second to Marcus Ericsson two years earlier, O'Ward had once again put himself in position to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." He passed teammate Alexander Rossi for second with 10 laps to go, and began tracking down defending champion Josef Newgarden, passing for the lead as they roared into Turn 1 on the final lap. But as they entered Turn 3 at the end of the long backstretch, Newgarden regained the lead, and he held on from there for his second Indy 500 win.
It wasn't just the heartbreak of finishing second again that further endeared O'Ward to his fans, though. It was his response. On pit road, he only managed to get halfway out of his car before slumping over, his helmet hiding his naked emotions.
They came out later, when O'Ward admitted: “I just want to win this race so freaking bad.”
“It owes me nothing,” he added, “so every time we come back, there's always a smile on my face to have another opportunity.”
It has been a rollercoaster week for O'Ward, whose team appeared to find some speed in race trim during practice Thursday but then encountered a problem Friday, when cars received the 100-horsepower boost they will use for qualifying.
Instead of getting on the track early, Arrow McLaren was wheeling the No. 5 car back to Gasoline Alley.
“There was something the engineers didn't like in the rear of the car,” O'Ward explained as he walked back to the garage. “You want to make sure everything is where it's supposed to be, so you don't regret not going back to check it.”
Earlier in the day, O'Ward unveiled his custom helmet for race day. It was designed in Germany and shipped to the U.S., where he had a devil of a time getting it delivered to his home. O'Ward spent nearly an hour on the phone during a rain delay Tuesday trying to sort out a dispute over some customs fees, and the package was only released when a woman on the Arrow McLaren team who happens to be married to a high-ranking UPS official somehow intervened.
There are several decals and markings, but most prominent is a monster painted across each side. It is an homage to Cipactli, a primordial sea monster in Aztec mythology, which the gods were said to have sacrificed and then used to create the world.
“It basically devoured everything in its path, but other than that, it was sacrificed to create heaven and earth,” O'Ward said. “I think you do have to make sacrifices to achieve greatness, and that's what we're trying to do this year.”
He wants to make sure a whole bunch of his fans can see it, too.
The Indy 500 is expected to be sold out well ahead of the May 25 running — perhaps as early as this weekend — which means a crowd of about 350,000. O'Ward bought 300 of those tickets and gave them away to fans who bought his merchandise.
“I think it’s great. It’s just such a phenomenal event,” he said, “and I have my own suite for the first time here at the Indy 500. I’m super stoked about that one. Definitely haven’t sold out in that one, but it’s OK.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Pato O'Ward, of Mexico, prepares to drive during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Pato O'Ward, of Mexico, watches during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
