'Championship Is Not Over': Pato O'Ward Places The Stress On Alex Palou

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

TORONTO — Pato O’Ward had a cushty lead over the ultimate third of the race on the streets of Toronto, so he might have let his thoughts wander.

He might have taken only a second — possibly a second — to surprise how a lot he might minimize into Alex Palou’s championship lead on Sunday afternoon.

However he didn’t look to see the place Palou was operating. He did not ask.

Pato O’Ward (center) celebrates on the rostrum after the INDYCAR race at Toronto

That’s how far the hole was coming into the race, and when he heard he had minimize Palou’s lead from 129 factors to 99, O’Ward wasn’t going to let the large hill that he nonetheless should climb damage a day the place he earned his second victory within the final three races.

Palou, who has seven wins this yr, completed twelfth.

“It’s solely, like, [down to] 99,” O’Ward stated. “It is a good chunk. His good weekends are days like [mine] at this time. We have to be sure that we proceed to have days like at this time. Not only one however a number of.

“I feel we will maintain this dialog going till Nashville. That is my purpose.”

To maintain the dialog operating till the season finale at Nashville, O’Ward would must be inside 54 factors of Palou. Considered one of Palou’s greatest tracks comes subsequent weekend at Laguna Seca Raceway. Then the ultimate three races are at Portland Worldwide Raceway, The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

Alex Palou and Marcus Armstrong at the beginning of the INDYCAR race at Toronto

Palou gained’t have the ability to clinch at Laguna Seca. He must be 108 factors forward of O’Ward after Portland to clinch and 54 factors forward of O’Ward after Milwaukee to seal his third consecutive title and fourth general.

O’Ward is the one driver even remotely within the championship hunt. Kyle Kirkwood sits third within the standings at 173 factors behind and Scott Dixon is 174 factors behind.

“Clearly, we’re at a time within the championship the place we will need to get a bit of bit extra into the dialog of getting our elbows out as a result of that is what I needed to do at this time simply to open the doorways to having an opportunity to win this race,” O’Ward stated.

“That is the one method we’re even going to catch a whiff of constructing him sweat a bit of bit.”

Pato O’Ward waves to crowd after successful INDYCAR’s race at Toronto

These elbows out included contact with Will Energy. INDYCAR reviewed the transfer to see if O’Ward might have averted it, as Energy had slight contact with the barrier after knocking wheels with O’Ward.

Pato was cleared of any wrongdoing and INDYCAR dominated it a racing incident. He felt unhealthy for Energy but additionally stated the driving force who’s on the skin of two-wide in that nook is risking contact.

“The issue is that it is such a nice line that you just’re battling with,” O’Ward stated. “You do not need to lose any positions.

“If you’re going by way of the place you are full reverse lock [of the way you’re turning], we principally hit sq.. If you hit tire to tire, each of our wheels acquired out of our fingers. You needed to, like, collect it again up.”

Energy rallied again to complete eleventh, one spot forward of Palou.

As we speak, Palou was a sufferer of technique. He began on the first tires early after which wanted to run on the alternate tires longer than different drivers. He led early however then was mired in site visitors for the second half of the race.

“I selected the technique,” Palou stated. “There [with the strategy] is what we did fallacious at this time. I used to be pushing for that technique. I assumed it was going to provide us one of the best alternative to win.

“The automobile was actually quick. I wished to be up entrance, making an attempt to keep away from being trapped in site visitors. It occurs. We knew it was going to be a dangerous technique.”

Alex Palou previous to the INDYCAR race at Toronto

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown stated if it weren’t for Palou, many would take a look at O’Ward as having an incredible season.

He additionally stated he believes in miracles.

“Championship isn’t over,” Brown stated on the FOX broadcast previous to the race. “A miracle would possibly have to occur. However miracles can occur. That’s what makes the game thrilling.”

What the crew should work on now could be coming into each race with full religion that they’ll pull off a win. Toronto, for instance, usually hasn’t been one of many higher tracks for O’Ward.

“I feel the most important problem Pato and I’ve is to make everyone consider that it doesn’t matter what, particularly in INDYCAR, each time you’re taking the inexperienced flag, that is a chance,” stated crew principal Tony Kanaan.

“We had a fairly good and intense assembly final night time. I stated, ‘We acquired to consider it.’ Days like this, it makes a giant distinction in our individuals. I feel you give them an additional enhance of confidence that we will do it, we will take the subsequent step.”

That subsequent step is extra three-week stretches for O’Ward the place he’s battling for the win regardless of the monitor.

“You want a automobile that you may assault with and that you may go individuals,” O’Ward stated. “I really feel like you’ll be able to’t simply at all times depend on technique. If we simply relied on technique at this time, I feel possibly we’d catch a whiff of a podium.

“However that is not sufficient. You want one thing to have the ability to actually combat your method ahead … It feels actually good to earn it at this time. It actually does. Particularly in a spot that is been a really robust weekend, principally each time we come right here.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time protecting motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.