Paddock Buzz: Pato O’Ward Wants To End Season With Triple Play

Pato O’Ward arrived at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a chance to cap his season with a milestone he has never achieved in his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career – three consecutive victories.

O’Ward (photo, top) swept last weekend’s Milwaukee Mile doubleheader and moved from fifth to fourth in the championship standings. He now sits just four points behind Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard for second entering Sunday’s Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

“A lot of Pato fans are going to be pumped,” O’Ward said.

A third consecutive victory would also give O’Ward his first podium finish at Laguna Seca.

O’Ward enters the season finale with 12 career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories, including three this season. Remarkably, those three wins account for all his podium finishes in 17 starts in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in 2026.

The Mexican has recorded 10 top-five finishes, putting him second best behind Alex Palou’s 12. But O’Ward has just the three podium finishes compared to Palou’s seven.

A victory Sunday would give O’Ward four wins in a season for the first time in his career and make him the first driver to win three consecutive races since Palou last season at Barber Motorsports Park, the Sonsio Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

O’Ward has made five starts at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with a best finish of fourth last year. He also finished fifth in 2021.

He showed immediate speed on a sun-drenched California Friday, finishing third quickest in opening practice as he looks to carry his Milwaukee momentum into the season finale -- and potentially make one last push for second in the championship.

“Second place (in points) matters,” O’Ward said. “It means a bigger bonus.”

Rosenqvist’s MSR Tenure Nearing End

Several drivers enter this weekend knowing they will make their final starts with their current teams.

Among them are Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who joins Arrow McLaren in 2027, and Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist, who also will move to Arrow McLaren next season. Rosenqvist and Dixon join O’Ward at the team famous for its papaya colors.

Rosenqvist’s two-year tenure at MSR has marked a significant turnaround for the organization.

He joined the team in 2024 after three seasons with Arrow McLaren from 2021-23 and two seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing from 2019-20. Rosenqvist helped MSR climb from 25th in entrant points before his arrival to 12th in his first season and sixth last year.

This season, he gave MSR its first victory since Helio Castroneves won the 2021 Indianapolis 500 when Rosenqvist made a pass just ahead of the checkered flag to win this year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Rosenqvist (photo, above) enters Laguna Seca ninth in the championship and was second quickest in Friday’s opening practice.

“Pretty good session for us,” Rosenqvist said. “Good on both (tire) compounds, which is always nice. A little bit of an emotional weekend last weekend with the team. Obviously, we've known this for a long time, but it's definitely gone quick since I announced I was leaving.

“Excited for the future. Always a lot on your mind when you know you're going to leave a good group, a lot of good people, friendships and so on. We all said the best thing we can do is go out and try to win and have some fun, as well. It's kind of a no-pressure weekend in the way.”

Rosenqvist has two top-five finishes in six starts at Laguna Seca, including a best finish of fourth in 2022. He also won the pole in 2023.

Zanardi Honored

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca began Friday by dedicating the famous Corkscrew turn complex as the “Zanardi Corkscrew,” honoring the late Alex Zanardi and commemorating the 30th anniversary of his pass that became one of the defining moments of his remarkable career.

On Sept. 8, 1996, Zanardi made a daring move in the No. 4 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda by diving under Bryan Herta entering the Turn 8 Corkscrew on the final lap of the CART season finale at Laguna Seca.

The ceremony gathered special guests from throughout Zanardi’s career, including team owner Chip Ganassi, friend and competitor Max Papis, INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles and other INDYCAR SERIES legends (photo, above), as the motorsports community reflected on the moment that forever connected Zanardi to Laguna Seca.

A commemorative marker recognizing the Zanardi Corkscrew was unveiled during the ceremony, linking Zanardi’s name with Turn 8 at the Central California Coast circuit. A sign featuring the car in which he made the famous pass also was placed outside the corner (photo, above).

Jimmy Vasser clinched the team’s first championship that day. But Ganassi said it was Zanardi who stole the spotlight.

“In typical Zanardi fashion, he stole the show,” Ganassi said. “He stole the show and stole my heart.”

The move became known as “The Pass.” Thirty years later, it remains one of the most recognized moments in Laguna Seca and American open-wheel racing history.

Ganassi compared it to iconic moments in sports, from Joe Montana to Dwight Clark’s “The Catch” to Michael Jordan’s “The Shot” and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Immaculate Reception.”

“Alex Zanardi gave us one of those moments that day,” Ganassi said.

CGR Managing Director Mike Hull said the moment made Zanardi “larger than life.”

But Zanardi’s legacy extends far beyond one corner. A two-time CART champion in 1997 and 1998, and winner of 15 CART races, he became one of the sport’s most beloved drivers.

After a devastating 2001 accident at the Lausitzring resulted in the loss of both legs, Zanardi returned to racing and later became a champion hand cyclist and Paralympic gold medalist.

“Alex turned a disability into an ability,” Papis said.

Zanardi died May 1 at age 59.

His namesake corner joins the Turn 2 “Andretti Hairpin” and the “Rahal Straight” at Laguna Seca.

Odds and Ends

• Rock band Nickelback will be on-site for Sunday’s season finale, with band members Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair joining MSR to see the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda and its new livery featuring the band in person. In addition, Nickelback also will serve as grand marshal and will give the command.

• Lundgaard and rookie Caio Collet each will have a six-position grid penalty for Sunday’s race. Both incurred the penalties for unapproved engine changes following the two races at Milwaukee Mile on Sunday, Aug. 30.

• Last weekend’s doubleheader at Milwaukee Mile averaged 950,000 viewers, making it the most-watched Milwaukee race weekend since 2011. The audience was up 22 percent from the 2025 race (780,000). This season is averaging 1,731,000 viewers through 17 races, up 27 percent from last year’s 1,362,000 through 17 races, the first season FOX Sports aired the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

• Chip Ganassi Racing’s transporters received an update this weekend, with a new graphic featuring 18 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships. The latest addition represents Palou’s fifth championship, secured last weekend. Palou has won five titles in the last six years, including four consecutive championships.