O’Ward scores first IndyCar win of 2022 with late pass
LEEDS, Ala. – After qualifying in Long Beach, Pato O’Ward decided to forget all the off-track drama to just go racing. Sunday, the NTT IndyCar Series field was reminded what that looks like.
After falling back to fourth a year ago from the pole at Barber Motorsports Park, the Arrow McLaren SP driver was elated in victory lane after hanging tight on pole-sitter Rinus VeeKay throughout Sunday before striking for a race-winning pass on lap 62.
Last year’s winner and defending IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou took second place, 0.98 seconds back from O’Ward, with VeeKay capping the podium in third more than 10 seconds back. Will Power, the only driver to finish in the top five in each of the first three races, took fourth, followed by Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, Romain Grosjean, Graham Rahal, Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta.
Shortly after taking fifth in Long Beach, by far his best finish of the year, O’Ward and McLaren Racing CEO Zak
Brown told IndyStar they were closing in on a contract extension for the young Mexican driver, with the actual signing of contracts to come soon.
With his runner-up finish, Palou jumped from third to take the IndyCar points lead (144). McLaughlin, who entered Sunday in second, remained there (141), followed by the pre-Barber leader Josef Newgarden (third, 135), Power (134), O’Ward (114) and Dixon (113).
Cup race at Dover postponed
Martin Truex Jr. has the blueprint for how to win at Dover Motor Speedway on Mondays.
Step 1, rain on Sundays.
Truex can win for the third time at the Monster Mile on the unconventional race day after rain stopped the action only 78 laps into the 400-mile race Sunday. Truex raced to his first NASCAR Cup win June 4, 2007, at Dover and 12 years later used another rainout to take the checkered flag on May 6, 2019.
They’ll fire the engines again at noon ET Monday with Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott starting 1-2.
– The Associated Press