Pato O’Ward: Racing for wins, pride and representation

SPEEDWAY – Driver Patricio O’Ward, who’s known as Pato to fans, proudly wears the colors of his home country every time he straps into his IndyCar.

As he spoke about the green, white and red that stripe his helmet, he said, “I always try and stay true to my roots where I’m from. I’m proud of where I’m from.”

Born in Monterrey, Mexico, he got his start in racing at just six years old.

“I’m full-blown Mexican,” O’Ward said.

While he’s seen great success behind the wheel of the No. 5 for Arrow McLaren, his road to the NTT IndyCar Series was anything but smooth.

“The doors that open up to you are probably a little bit tougher,” he admitted, referencing how few Mexican drivers have had a shot in the sport.

In fact, O’Ward has been the only Mexican driver on the grid since his 2018 debut. The last before him was Mario Domínguez, who made a handful of starts in 2008 after the Champ Car–IndyCar merger.

Being the only active Mexican driver puts a certain pressure on O’Ward.

“You’re always getting inspected of what you’re saying, or what you haven’t said… but I try and do my best in that regard,” he said.

Money was nearly the barrier that kept him out of racing altogether.

“I had zero help from anybody, besides my family.” O’Ward continued, “I’m here because my father dedicated himself to me. My grandfather ultimately saved the last little bit of my career that I ever had and that’s what ultimately catapulted me into the eyes of everybody in IndyCar.”

Now, at 26, that foundation has carried him to the top tier of open-wheel racing, where he’s proven himself among the very best. O’Ward has racked up multiple wins, poles and a second-place finish in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series.

“I know I’m now in the position to be somebody’s hero, somebody’s idol. It’s hard… You say all these big names that I’ve always seen, then you see my name and, I don’t know, it sounds kind of weird to me.”

The way he said it made it clear he’s still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that he’s no longer just the kid from Monterrey chasing a dream, but a role model for the next generation and the new fan base he’s helping create.

“It’s important for me to, well, obviously represent my country. What I strive for is being able to splash champagne and see the confetti around my flag. Give them reasons to celebrate,” he said.

And O’Ward has. He’s won nine of the nearly 100 races he’s competed in since he joined IndyCar. Every time he’s on the grid, all he has to do is look up into the grandstands to see his influence reflected.

“There’s Mexican flags there, there’s Mexican people that’re shouting, chanting. That is very special. I love to see that. Makes me feel proud that they’re wearing my shirt,” he said.

“To have a Mexican driver who really is upfront winning has really transformed the way our Hispanic fans have followed the NTT IndyCar series,” said IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles.

Boles has seen firsthand how much interest has grown in the sport and it’s not just limited to the Hispanic community, but many others as well.

“Over the last four or five years, we’re starting to look much more like our community looks through the diversity, whether it’s Hispanic, we’ve got a lot of black fans, Asian fans, people that you might not have expected to be an NTT IndyCar series fan and that’s really due to drivers like Pato O’Ward,” Boles said.

To better connect with these new faces in the crowd, Boles said he’s even trying to learn Spanish, practicing pronunciation whenever he’s in the car, which aligns with the mission of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar Community Outreach and Fan Engagement Manager Luisa Macer.

“If something is not in Spanish, how can we think about focusing it on tweaking that language so everyone can read from the same message?” she said. “Providing accessibility in a different language, providing opportunities for drivers to connect by using their native tongues and bring drivers (to) meet people where they’re at.”

Her ultimate goal is to make the sport more inclusive and inviting to those who haven’t traditionally been fans.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” Macer said.

For her, the mission is personal. Macer was born in Mexico City and moved to the United States when she was 5 years old.

She was excited as she described how much of an impact O’Ward has had on diversifying IndyCar’s fanbase.

“For me, as a Mexican, to see my own community stand behind and cheering him on and seeing him also tearing up is something I never take for granted. To be able to work in a sport where my community feels welcome, my community is seen… to have a driver create that type of environment was really exciting,” she said.

She works to integrate drivers into the communities where they live and race. For O’Ward, that means connecting one-on-one with fans, buying tickets for those who otherwise have access or going on school tours.

Macer fondly recalled a recent time when Pato visited students at a Central Indiana school.

“Half of the school assembly had Pato jerseys on and it was that papaya color all over the school, cheering on Pato. Whether he was losing or winning in that moment, you could just tell fans are starting to recognize who he is, but more so just to see that authenticity come through that was really cool,” Macer said.

It’s this kind of community outreach Pato hopes he’ll be remembered for, long after he’s done racing.

“As somebody that’s made a difference and that doesn’t have to be on track all the time,” he said.

As he continues his career behind the wheel, O’Ward is pushing to race in front of an audience in his home country, specifically in Mexico City, though the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule doesn’t have drivers heading south of the border.

“Hopefully one day we’ll be able to race in front of everyone in Mexico,” he said.

For any fans who do make the trip in the future, whether for a race or for fun, O’Ward enthusiastically recommends the authentic street tacos, calling them “the best food in the world.”