INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward is well aware of the significance of celebrating victory at the Indianapolis 500.
Determined to minimize any race day surprises, O’Ward expressed on Media Day that he intends to embrace the superstitions that accompany the event, hoping to break a difficult streak from his first five Indy 500 appearances.
Paul winner Robert Schwartzman shared insights after qualifying last weekend, highlighting his engagement in the newcomer tradition of milking cows, a practice thought to influence who quenches their thirst in Victory Lane.
“She told me, ‘They didn’t milk the cows; they didn’t win the Indy 500.’ The one who milks cows? Alexander Rossi did that, and he won 500. You have to milk the cows,” he remarked.
Schwartzman recounted his experience with a “very gentle and cute” cow.
Unfortunately, his rookie year in 2020 didn’t allow him the opportunity to participate, as the milking tradition was paused when fans were not present.
Since then, his finishes have included sixth, fourth, second, 24th, and second.
Sato, a two-time race winner, claimed he had never followed this tradition, which didn’t seem to impress O’Ward, who pressed for a more immediate involvement.
Eventually, after Schwartzman suggested waiting until next year to participate properly, O’Ward expressed his dissatisfaction with delaying another race day, insisting he wanted to milk the cow right away.
The Indiana Dairy Association was quick to step in, stating, “We know farmers who know the cows that can help.” The group shared this.
Special Guests
Ryan Hunter-Reay brought his eldest son, Leiden, as a special guest on Media Day.
The upcoming sixth grader sported baseball caps, shorts, and, of course, No. 23 socks in honor of his father, the 2014 Indy 500 champion.
Race week in Indianapolis was only part of Leiden Hunter-Reay’s excitement, as he also began to miss school for the occasion.
“I think it would be better,” he said regarding his absence from class.
When asked who he thought would win Sunday’s race, he confidently replied, “My dad.”
Feeling Better
Colton Herta had to cancel his local community day appearance on Wednesday due to weather exposure.
By Thursday, he felt well enough to attend his Media Day interview.
Although Herta is working through repairs and preparing for Sunday’s race, he expressed relief at a much better qualifying position. He qualified 29th Saturday, just four and a half hours after crashing during his initial qualifying attempt, and is currently 27th due to penalties against two team Penske cars.
At least he’s comfortable in the backup car his team quickly prepared on Saturday.
“It felt like being in a different car, and they patched everything up completely. It was surprising because it’s never happened to me before,” Herta noted. “This gave me a lot of confidence and made it easier to get back to work.”
Five-Time Drive
Helio Castroneves is now the fourth and newest member of the exclusive four-time winners club at Indy. His quest to become the first five-time champion is shadowed by Kyle Larson’s attempt to race in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Team Penske Scandal.
The veteran Penske driver, now with Meyer Shank Racing, is set to start in 22nd place after moving up two spots on the grid due to a penalty against two former teammates. This starting position marks his third lowest in 25 career attempts, following 28th in 2020 and 27th in 2022.
The 50-year-old Brazilian completed a personal double this season by competing in both the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 within the same year.
“This place has always been good for me. It’s amazing, and I’m striving to achieve something special and rewrite history,” Castroneves stated. “We’ll do what we need to do, but we believe we’re moving forward soon.”
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Source: apnews.com