PORTLAND, Ore. — Pato O’Ward had remained in championship contention, in part, by completing every lap of every race.
So when his car lost power on Lap 21 of the 110-lap race Sunday at Portland International Raceway, he was more disappointed that he couldn’t continue that streak rather than that gremlin put the championship out of reach.
Pato O’Ward pit stop during the INDYCAR Series at Portland
O’Ward finished 25th and needed to finish at least 12th to keep the championship alive. And that would have been if Alex Palou finished at the rear of the field. Palou placed third to easily clinch his fourth INDYCAR title in dominating fashion, as two races still remain in the season.
“My objective all year was to finish every lap,” O’Ward said. “So sadly, that dream is over. … I wasn’t really too anxious about [the championship]. He was pretty much in the lead, like I said, starting the weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
“But we would have loved to have made it maybe a little bit more interesting.”
O’Ward is up by 64 points on Scott Dixon for second in the standings, so the setback shouldn’t keep him from still having his best season when it comes to the points.
The issue? A loose wire that was part of the engine system that shorted out the wiring loom and burned the direct injection box. The box and the wire loom had to be replaced, leaving O’Ward to just sit in his car as mechanics did the work. O’Ward finished 10 laps down.
O’Ward said the car just pretty much shut down.
“I exited Turn 7, and then it just turned off and never turned back on,” O’Ward said. “They had to change some electrical wiring through the car. By then, you’re just driving around.”
The Arrow McLaren driver, who started from the pole, led the first 15 laps of the race and then the issue came about six laps later.
“It’s just a bummer,” O’Ward said. “I would have loved to have gotten another win. I really didn’t care if he clinched the championship here or not.
“But when you’ve got the performance to challenge for the win and when you get it done in qualifying to put yourself in position to do that and throw it away with something like that, it’s like argh.”
For Palou, he could see what was happening and just tried to focus on trying to win the race.
“I could see on one of the screens on the straight that the No. 5 [car of O’Ward] was going super slow,” Palou said. “That’s not what you want a championship fight to go.
Alex Palou celebrates with champagne after Portland
“At the same time, I thought that our mentality already going towards the race was try and win the race, … although I knew at that point, it probably meant that we’re going to win the championship.”
As far as Palou winning his fourth series title, O’Ward could only give props.
“Congratulations to Alex,” O’Ward said. “It’s been really an unbelievable season for him.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
recommended
Get more from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
