Josef Newgarden and Pato O’Ward have reflected on their thrilling duel in the closing laps of the 2024 Indy 500 that was delayed by rain.
The Team Penske driver pulled off a stunning overtake at turn 3 on the final lap to take a second successive win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.Through strategy, Arrow McLaren’s O’Ward worked his way towards the front in the 200-lap contest.
Newgarden had dropped to P8 before a caution to clear Will Power’s car following a crash for the Australian. The Penske driver was fuel saving, with O’Ward and Dixon on an alternate strategy and looking really strong.
But an incredible restart by Newgarden saw him pass McLaughlin, Daly, VeeKay and Palou by the exit of turn 1, moving him up to P4. From there the race for the win became a contest between Newgarden, Rossi, O’Ward and Dixon.
The defending Indy 500 champion took the lead from Rossi on the main straight with 7 laps to go; O’Ward followed him through and it was game on between the two drivers who have battled it out consistently on ovals in the last few years.
At the start of the final lap, O’Ward made his move for home as he overtook Newgarden on the main straight. However, the driver of car number 2 got a tremendous run in the slipstream of the Mexican driver and pulled off a breathtaking move around the outside into turn 3.
Newgarden crossed the line to become a two-time Indy 500 champion — O’Ward was left inconsolable.
Speaking post-race, Newgarden explained how he went all in to get the victory, and he praised his Mexican rival for the hard but clean racing on the final lap.
“Yeah, hard to know if it’s going to work. I don’t think it works unless you’re racing someone like Pato. It’s not that Pato didn’t race me hard, he just raced me clean. That move doesn’t work unless you’re racing someone like that. It just doesn’t. It’s very easy that that doesn’t work out.
“So I think he’s a tremendous champion. He could have easily won the race himself. He was very capable of that with his team. For us, it worked out. He drove me excellently. I’m very thankful for him and the way that he drove.
“From our side, we left it all on the track. There was nothing that we were going to come home and regret. I definitely felt that way in the final [stages]. I’m like, we’re going to put it all on the line. You have to if you want to win Indy. That’s just the way it’s got to be, especially nowadays.
“It was enough. Our car was so fast, and it was pretty good. It was a little hairy at the end as far as the trickiness, but we had it all day as far as the commitment and the car and the team, and we laid it all out there in Turn 3.”
Asked what he would say to O’Ward if he spoke to him, the 33-year-old had massive praise for the Arrow McLaren driver.
Newgarden also understands the pain he’s feeling as it took the Nashville native until the 12th attempt to finally achieve racing immortality at the 500.
“I would echo what I already said. He’s a champion. He’s one of the best competitors we have in this field. He’s a really nice guy. Every time I talk to Pato we have great conversations, and I think we have a lot of respect for each other.
“I’m appreciative for the way that he drives. He drove like a champion in this race and he’s just as deserving of a winner in my opinion. He definitely could have won this race. It’s tough to not win it. I can’t say anything to ease that for him. When you don’t win, it hurts.
“I’ve left here 11 times prior with a broken heart, so I know the feeling. Whether you’re close or you’re far, it’s a broken heart. I can’t ease that.
“But he’s a champion. I think he knows it. I definitely have a lot of respect for him.”
From O’Ward’s point of view, he was also extremely complimentary of his rival.
“Yeah, I think Josef is a great competitor. I’ve raced wheel-to-wheel with him so many times. He’s obviously one of the stars in the series, one of the strong ones. I knew it was going to be a fight until the end. Just two corners short.
“I really thought that I did everything in my power to get it done.”
Sunday’s 108th running of the Indy 500 was the eighth time in IndyCar that Newgarden and O’Ward finished 1st and 2nd.
As well as praising the Team Penske driver once again, O’Ward was immensely proud of the effort from Arrow McLaren to push Team Penske so hard.
“I was glad that I was racing somebody that I can trust and somebody that I think is a fantastic competitor. He’s on a fantastic team.
“For us, I think it’s a privilege to really make them sweat. I think we certainly did today.
“Like I said, a couple seconds short.”
Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment | Dana Garrett
