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One year ago at this time, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward had a dream.
When he closed his eyes at night, O’Ward told Fox News Digital he would dream of crossing the finish line at the Indy 500 before the rest of his competition.
“I keep racing multiple Indy 500’s in my head. It’s crazy,” he said last May. “You try and tone it down as much as you can, but this race…it’s unlike anything else.”
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Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward, #5, gives a thumbs up to a group of children on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 during a practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (IMAGN)
The dream looked like it was about to come true when “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” saw O’Ward leading with one lap to go until Josef Newgarden came flying from behind and past the McLaren black and orange car to come away with the win.
Instead of celebrating victory at “The Brickyard,” O’Ward was slumped over his vehicle as his team tried to console him. For the second time in three years, O’Ward was runner-up.
ARROW MCLAREN’S PATO O’WARD CONFIDENT AS HE DREAMS OF FIRST INDY 500 VICTORY: ‘WE’VE GOT A SHOT’
“I mean, at that moment, it was a moment that a lot of emotions were kind of exploding out of a bottle, and they truly were uncontrollable,” he told Fox News Digital recently before the big race on Memorial Day weekend. “It was a very raw scene of what it’s like to be just right there, but just missing it. It’s been a few times that that’s happened, so that’s why I think it was such a heavy emotion.
“I dedicate and do everything for this moment, and sometimes it’s just right there, but haven’t quite gotten it. It’s just the human side of it, I would say.”
Despite the results of the last few years in Indianapolis, O’Ward’s optimistic outlook on his profession has not wavered entering this year’s race.
“I mean, this time last year, I had like three [did not finish] by this point,” he said while laughing.
“It’s one of the only months all year when you really get to enjoy the present, and you’re not focused on the future, you’re not focused on the past. You’re just focused on where you’re at. It’s a very amazing experience.”
Arrow McLaren SP driver Pato O’Ward, #5, crosses the finish line second on Saturday, May 10, 2025 during the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (IMAGN)
The sting of defeat is something that almost never leaves the mind, even one full year after it happens. However, with every failure, an opportunity to learn comes, and that is exactly what O’Ward is getting from last year’s finish.
“You gotta be up at the front the last stint,” he said when asked what he learned from last year’s runner-up finish. “The last stint is super important, but also a race that can turn around one lap to another just because of a yellow flag falling. There’s a lot of different strategies going on, and it’s a race that constantly wants you to be flexible, agile. You need to adjust sails, rather than go against it.”
In five starts this season, O’Ward is still searching for his first victory, though he has two top-five and three top-10 finishes. As a result, he is currently ranked fourth in NTT IndyCar Series standings.
Perhaps his best race of the year came at the 2025 Grand Prix of Indianapolis this past weekend, finishing runner-up behind Alex Palou.
While O’Ward is not currently dreaming again about celebrating with his Arrow McLaren team, kissing the famed Yard of Bricks, and chugging some milk, as is custom for the champion, it is in the back of his mind somewhere.
That moment is what continues to drive him, especially knowing how close he was to realizing that dream.
Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward, #5, reacts after finishing second on Sunday, May 26, 2024 in the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (IMAGN)
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“I think at this point, it’s a combination of a lot of different things, but it hasn’t been a reason like, ‘Hey, we’ve been lucky to have these opportunities.’ No, we’ve put ourselves in these opportunities, and we have earned ourselves the position to have these opportunities,” he said. “I think that alone just gives me a peace of mind along with my core team. We know how to do this, we know how to put ourselves in positions to win this race.
“I think, deep down, it gives us a lot of self-confidence of we’re not searching for something that we’ve never been in or we’re not searching for something that haven’t done.”
The Indy 500 will be broadcast May 25 on FOX with pre-coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET. It will also be available to stream live on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
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