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Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward edged out IndyCar championship leader Alex Palou to take the checkered flag at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio by a mere .4993 seconds!
O'Ward displayed remarkable composure as his Chip Ganassi Racing rival relentlessly pressured him in the closing laps. The win adds another chapter to O'Ward's growing resume, bringing his career INDYCAR victories to six.
However, his first win of the season at St. Petersburg came under controversial circumstances. Josef Newgarden, who initially finished ahead of O'Ward, was disqualified due to Team Penske's illegal use of the Push to Pass system.
“Great job by the team,” O’Ward said. “Oh, it’s been awhile. I know we won St. Pete, but this is a proper win. We earned this one this weekend.”
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The Mid-Ohio race was a historic moment for the NTT IndyCar Series, marking the debut of its all-new hybrid engines. Chevrolet and Honda both introduced their respective energy recovery systems, ushering in a new era of sustainable and powerful racing technology.
General Motors, thanks to O'Ward, had the distinct honor of claiming the first ever INDYCAR victory powered by a hybrid engine.
The podium wasn't complete without Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin, who secured a third-place finish, his second podium appearance in the last three races.
Palou leads the championship with 329 points from Penke’s Will Power with 281 points and O’Ward who now sits third with 259 points.
