Arrow McLaren driver eager to return to victory lane at Barber Motorsports Park

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward will be heading into round two of the IndyCar series at Barber Motorsports Park with a spring in his step after inheriting victory at the season opener at St. Petersburg.

All three Team Penske cars, including Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin, were penalized from the season opener. They finished first and second but were disqualified for a technical infringement. 

O'Ward didn't lead a lap in Florida seven weeks ago but has taken his first victory since 2022 at Iowa Speedway, putting an end to a lengthy drought.

The 24-year-old has struggled more recently at the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club, failing to qualify for the final and slumping to a 16th-place finish at Long Beach after contact with teammate Alexander Rossi.

The win at St. Pete is just the fifth of O'Ward's career, which began full-time in 2020. He took his first victory a year later at a Texas Speedway, which earned him a test in that year's McLaren Formula 1 car at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Another triumph followed quickly at Belle Isle in Detroit as he pushed eventual champion Alex Palou for the title until the final round at Long Beach.

Arrow McLaren has been unable to compete with the might of Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske in previous seasons. They trailed in Palou's wake in 2023, who romped to his second title for CGR.

Despite a lackluster weekend at Long Beach, O'Ward will be heading to Barber in Alabama with good memories after taking the win in 2022. 

"I've had a lot of success at Barber, not just in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES but pretty much every series that has taken me here, so this track holds a special place in my heart," O'Ward said, via McLaren.com.

"I always get super excited to go back there, so let's get on the Barber rollercoaster and make it a good weekend for the team."

Alongside his victory two years ago, O'Ward has delivered two fourth-place finishes for Arrow McLaren on the first permanent road course of the 2024 calendar.

His victory at St. Pete pushed the 24-year-old up to fourth in the standings from sixth place, and he is the highest driver in the championship of his teammates.

O'Ward sits just 13 points behind championship leader Scott Dixon as the series enters a hugely busy period in the month of May, culminating with the 108th Running of the Indy 500.