Pato O Ward will have pole position in Portland as the grid was turned upside down late in the grid penalty for Christian Lundgaard ahead of Sunday Indy car race. A stalwart of the season, the current driver of the Arrow McLaren is being handed a golden chance to turn decent qualifying speed into one of the racings most important victories.Portland IndyCar
Qualifying had been fraught and Lundgaard had posted a smoking lap to claim the top of the timesheets and be deemed the initial winner of pole. An unauthorized engine change during post-session, however, penalized him six places giving O Ward the most elusive front row start. Such decisions form part of the randomness of racing but it could not have been a better time to come good to the Mexican driver as he would dearly have wanted to leave his season with a bang.
The lap O Ward ran during the 2018 Firestone Fast Six as well was notable in its own right; the pace of the McLaren-Chevrolet machinery was up there, and O Ward was able to get it to the limit at the ideal time. Commenting on the reshuffle, O Ward did not downplay the turn of events but maintained that it is only a matter of keeping the end in mind. It is good to be on the first spot, however we have to perform flawlessly tomorrow. This song does not spare errors,” he replied.
Others are behind them with Graham Rahal coming in second after a good performance of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The veteran remains in form towards the end of this season and will be hoping to attain his first win since 2017. Colton Herta is also a fast Honda sporting third place on the grid for Andretti Autosport as well as this sharpens the learning curve.
To Lundgaard the penalty is a grievous buffet. The Dane has been in scintillating form as of late and although grid position should put him in with a fighting chance, the tight margins of the opening chicane of corners at Portland can prove dangerous to navigate. The start of the race will be tense, and maybe chaotic, with the title implications on a number of drivers.
Turns Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden are also potent threats inside the top ten. Both Dixon and Newgarden are capable of racecraft (Dixon is meticulous, and Newgarden is brash), and either one can come into play, particularly where strategy and other racing moves like the pits come into play so frequently in IndyCar.
The Portland International Raceway has a reputation as a place of first-lap wrecks in particular because of the tight corner combination known as Festival Curves, which has frequently put drivers in a position of having to make split-second decisions. OWard starting at the front and a pack that had to have a meal could produce early fireworks. Wear on tires will be a factor and this will advantage those who have taken care of their stints in the final laps.
There are very few rounds left in the championship and each point matters. O Ward might not be right there in the middle of the championship battle but should he win this race it would send a very good statement as they go into the off season and also give Arrow McLaren a boost of momentum. Whilst, other competitors will be contemplating the opportunity to have Lundgaard fight his way back to the front to have a multi-car tussle to the finish.
The combination of tactics, velocity and uncertainty in IndyCar result in nothing being definite until the checkered flag has dropped. But as O ward runs at the front, the team Portland fans might make it an event that combines cold blooded strategy and damn all out pace, the trademark of the series when at its finest.
Follow us on Zeroto30s social channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeroto30s/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeroto30s
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeroto30s
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zeroto30s