WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Pato O’Ward remained within the headlines Saturday by profitable the primary race of a doubleheader on the Milwaukee Mile, the place he has spent the weekend questioning IndyCar management for permitting NASCAR to beat the collection to a race in Mexico Metropolis.

O’Ward, from Monterrey, Mexico, is IndyCar’s hottest driver and desperately needs to race in his dwelling nation. As an alternative, NASCAR mentioned this week it can race in Mexico Metropolis subsequent June and O’Ward is miffed that there is not any longer room for IndyCar.

The scenario escalated when IndyCar CEO Mark Miles mentioned the Mexico Metropolis promoters have felt the collection and O’Ward should not standard sufficient to warrant something however a lease settlement to stage the race themselves.

That irritated O’Ward, who has organically and steadily constructed his fanbase and might be second solely to System 1 driver Sergio Perez in recognition in Mexico.

His response was Saturday’s win at Milwaukee, his third win of the 12 months however first on an oval since Iowa Speedway in July 2022. The three wins are probably the most in a single season for an Arrow McLaren Racing driver and got here hours after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, his F1 counterparts, swept the entrance row in qualifying for Sunday’s race in Italy.

O’Ward led 133 of the 250 laps and got here to the post-race information convention carrying a sombrero. Runner-up Will Energy instantly mentioned, “We actually ought to be in Mexico Metropolis, not NASCAR.”

O’Ward replied: “Pato who?”

The victory overshadowed the championship battle between factors chief Alex Palou and Energy, who began the race in a 54-point deficit to the reigning IndyCar title holder.

However Energy completed second to chop Palou’s result in 43 factors with two races remaining, each on ovals.

Conor Daly, who was out of a journey earlier this season however employed final month to complete the 12 months for Juncos Hollinger Racing, completed third in JHR’s first ever podium. It was Daly’s first podium since 2016 and he celebrated by pouring the celebratory champagne throughout his face.

“It feels wonderful,” Daly mentioned. “We had a number of unhealthy luck, and I believe lots of people have been questioning was this the man to do it. They gave me the automotive to do it. I need to do effectively within the collection. My purpose is to be on the rostrum on this collection, and it has been far too lengthy since I have been on the rostrum. It is good to get one other one.”

Chevrolet swept the rostrum in IndyCar’s return to Milwaukee after an eight-year absence.

Santino Ferrucci, who was working second late, gave up place to Energy as his A.J. Foyt Racing crew has an alliance with Energy’s Workforce Penske group. Daly used the second to squeeze his means via and Ferrucci fell to fourth.

Palou completed fifth and remains to be answerable for the title race, which wraps up after Sunday’s second race at Milwaukee after which subsequent month with the finale at Nashville Superspeedway. Palou has by no means gained an oval, whereas Energy has 10 profession victories on ovals, together with one at Milwaukee.

Energy has additionally raced earlier than at Nashville, whereas Palou has not. Each drivers are in search of a 3rd IndyCar title. For Palou, it might be his third in 4 years, whereas Energy gained the 2022 title in between Palou’s two campaigns.

Palou twice was boxed in on pit stops by Energy, who was within the stall in entrance of him. It compelled Palou to get aggressive to get round Energy’s automotive – and he wanted to take an evasive maneuver when one among Energy’s tire changers was awfully near the sting of the pit field as Palou pulled round his title rival.

He was truly monetarily penalized for “hitting one other crew’s gear” as he pulled away. Energy insisted he was not gaming the pit stops and racing Palou cleanly.