The Mexican started sixth in his No. 5 Chevrolet-powered car and was a mainstay among the top five all race long. A caution on Lap 85 of 110 meant the group of frontrunners that had been strung out were squeezed back together.
When the restart came three laps later, O’Ward lined up fourth and immediately attempted to harry Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon for third. Moments later, any pressure he could apply was immediately relented when Dixon went by rookie team-mate Marcus Armstrong, who was running a lap down, on the way to Turn 7.
Armstrong then blended back in line directly in front of O’Ward as they approached the corner, allowing his team-mate to escape.
O’Ward couldn’t re-ignite the fight and finished fourth at the 1.964-mile, 12-turn road course.
“I was really happy with the car, I was very comfortable, I think we were one of the, or the, fastest car on track for quite a bit of the race,” O’Ward said. “We were just making hay.
“It's just frustrating in a series like this where the leaders have to be fighting the lappers in order to have a shot. For us, we were fighting Dixon and FRO [Felix Rosenqvist] for the podium and obviously Dixon gets let by because he's in a Honda, and we get to him and they do everything in their power to make me blow all my push-to-pass to get by, and they blow all theirs.
“It's like the biggest accomplishment they want from a race day is to wait for the leaders to come by and make their life a living hell.”
Then O’Ward went a step further with his frustrations by stating: “It's embarrassing for the series, there should be a rule in place for that to not happen. It's just destroying the chances of a good fight for the podium.
“I wasn't the only one. Josef [Newgarden] and Scotty [McLaughlin] were getting held up, I think it was Armstrong. I get it, but they're not going to get their lap back, so let us by.
“Stop being an ass and let other people fight.”
