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LONG BEACH — Pato O’Ward knew coming into Sunday’s NTT IndyCar season-finale astatine the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach that helium had lone a mediocre accidental to look with the bid championship.
He entered 35 points down Alex Palou and knew that Palou lone needed to decorativeness 12th oregon amended to assertion the title, which helium did by finishing 4th down victor Colton Herta, Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon.
But O’Ward ne'er truly got the accidental to compete. He was tapped by Ed Jones going astir a choky country connected Lap 1. His gear-box was damaged, and helium went retired of the contention connected Lap 18.
O’Ward, who toils for Arrow McLaren SP, amazingly re-entered the contention connected Lap 53 and went 26 much earlier again going out. One thing’s certain, helium was not blessed with Jones.
“Yeah, it’s not the archetypal clip helium deed us, it’s not the archetypal clip helium does thing anserine each season,” O’Ward said during a trackside tv interview. “So I conscionable privation helium could person utilized his caput a small spot more, astatine slightest respect the guys that are warring (for) the championship.”
O’Ward finished 27th and ended up 3rd successful bid points down Palou and Josef Newgarden.
Warmup drama
IndyCar operator Helio Castroneves became upset during the greeting warmup for the main lawsuit erstwhile Alexander Rossi came retired of the pits and tapped Castroneves’ car.
Castroneves was visibly upset arsenic helium spoke to a assortment of people.
Rossi was asked astir it during a trackside tv interrogation aft the warmup.
“I’ll archer you what, man, benignant of since Portland (earlier this month) things person been brewing — not brewing — but like, helium likes to leap successful enactment erstwhile we’re each trying to get gaps and everything and it happened yesterday, it happened successful Portland,” Rossi said.
Rossi scoffed that astatine the conception helium was to blame.
“But The information that helium thinks immoderate of that was my responsibility is hilarious,” Rossi said. “I conjecture erstwhile you’re a four-time Indy 500 champion, you’re going to person your opinion; he’s entitled to it. But he’s wrong.”
Castroneves, 46, won his record-tying 4th Indianapolis 500 successful May. He toils for Meyer-Shank Racing, Rossi drives for Andretti Autosport.
“He (Rossi) should instrumentality a look astatine what’s going on, and it’s wholly unnecessary,” Castronves told a trackside newsman successful aggravated tones.
Rossi, the two-time defending contention champion, finished sixth. Castroneves was 20th.
Historic Formula Atlantic
Todd Willing connected Sunday greeting won his 2nd contention successful 2 days successful the Historic Formula Atlantic series. Willing, of Grosse Pointe, Mich., had a apical clip of 1:26.958 connected Lap 8 of 11.
Steve Romak of Walnut Creek was second, arsenic helium was Saturday, and Gray Gregory of Houston was third.
Willing connected Saturday had his champion clip of 1:27.082 successful the seventh of the 13 laps.
Afterward, helium reflected connected the acquisition connected the thoroughfare course.
“I deliberation erstwhile you’ve got factual walls everywhere, it’s not easy,” helium said. “You’ve gotta support your focus. … Just soaking up the ambiance and checking retired the assemblage was truly fun.”
Bruce Flanders honored
Longtime Grand Prix contention announcer Bruce Flanders was honored earlier Sunday’s main lawsuit by Jim Michaelian, the CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.
Michaelian said a fewer words and past showed a video of Flanders astatine work. Flanders was inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame successful 2016.
He passed distant this past August astatine the property of 75.
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