Pato O’Ward survives Markham mayhem to charge from 23rd to fifth

Pato O’Ward turned what began as a nightmare weekend into a remarkable result, carving his way from a 23rd-place starting spot to cross the finish line fifth in a chaotic Ontario Honda Dealers Indy.

"Ah, man, it's been a very, very miserable weekend, so it was really nice to end it up with the top five and a solid race finish," O’Ward said.

Piloting the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet around the 2.19-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit, O’Ward wasted no time making up ground. He picked up five positions on the opening lap alone, immediately setting the tone for a relentless push through the field.

The 90-lap battle was anything but smooth sailing. Early in the race, The Mexican was tapped from behind at the hairpin, nearly spinning out and jeopardizing his comeback before it could truly gain traction. However, he managed to gather control of his machine and salvage a stellar result, crossing the line as the highest-finishing Chevrolet driver in the field. He led the charge for Arrow McLaren, finishing just ahead of teammate Christian Lundgaard, who had started on the front row in second position before dropping back to take sixth.

While pleased to salvage a top five, O’Ward pulled no punches when describing the aggressive, contact-heavy nature of the afternoon’s restarts.

"It was crazy out there because it was like freaking bumper cars, every single restart," O'Ward said. "I don't think anybody lets you by without hitting them. I feel like the driving standard out there is getting crazy. Either you wreck them or get wrecked."