Arrow McLAREN's top 5 moments of the 2024 season
From Larson’s May to Pato in Mid-Ohio: Ranking Arrow McLaren’s top five moments from 2024
Arrow McLaren’s 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season was one to remember. Our three wins were the most in single-season team history, and each win came on a different track surface. No other team in the paddock can claim that.
We also came within two turns of winning the Indianapolis 500. While that result still stings, that day showed that we're close to reaching the top of the mountain.
The list of reasons to celebrate doesn’t end there. Let’s take a closer look at the moments that pumped up our papaya faithful:
Alexander podiums in Laguna Seca
Alexander Rossi is definitely a fan of racing at Laguna Seca. For starters, he considers Laguna Seca a home race for him, as he grew up not far from the famed corkscrew. He also happens to have a strong handle on maneuvering that track. This year, Alexander once again showed us why he loves racing in Monterey. He and the team improved upon their fifth-place qualifying effort by deftly avoiding contact and executing flawless pitstops, ultimately landing a P3 finish and a spot on the podium.
Nolan’s first top-10 finish at Gateway
Joining a new team in the middle of a season would be hard enough, but Nolan had the even tougher task of jumping up from Indy NXT to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as well. Among the challenges for Nolan was getting used to oval racing. He attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 in May and had participated in an oval test shortly after his papaya arrival, but his experience was limited before the Iowa doubleheader.
Well, the youngest driver on the grid learned on the job fast. Nolan performed admirably in Iowa, but it was at the next oval opportunity in Gateway where he shined. He moved up 13 spots in a collision-filled primetime race and took the checkered flag in P7. Not bad for only his third oval race as an INDYCAR driver.
Kyle Larson sets Rookie Indy 500 Qualifying Record, Wins Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Honors
Kyle Larson’s attempt at “The Double” may have been the biggest storyline in the sport leading into May, and for good reason – Kyle is one of the most talented racers in the world, after all. The question was: how competitive would Kyle actually be on track? Was this just for show, or could he actually race near the front?
Well, Indy 500 Qualifying weekend gave us our answer.
Kyle flashed blazing speeds throughout the weekend, highlighted by a 233.453 mph lap in Top 12 Qualifying that set an Indianapolis 500 Single-Lap Rookie Record. Kyle would eventually advance to the Firestone Fast 6 and land a P5 starting position, followed by a P18 on race day and was ultimately named the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year.
Pato wins in the series’ return to The Milwaukee Mile
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES hadn’t raced at The Mile in almost a decade, so what better way to welcome it back onto the calendar than with an Arrow McLaren win? Sounds pretty great to us!
Pato and the No. 5 crew secured the team’s third win of the season in dominant fashion, leading a race-high 133 laps and finishing almost two seconds ahead of P2.
To make it even sweeter? That third win marked most by Arrow McLaren in a single season in team history. That’s quite the exclamation point to stamp on a season.
Pato opens the hybrid era with a win at Mid-Ohio
As impressive as the win in Milwaukee was, nothing in 2024 would outdo the win in Mid-Ohio. The race had so much intrigue – Pato and Alex Palou were the fastest in every session all weekend and were neck and neck all race. It all came down to the final pit exchange, where Pato’s team executed a flawless overcut strategy to take a late lead. Pato fended off Palou to cross the finish line in P1 for the team’s first on-track win in almost two years!
The excitement of the race nearly overshadowed the biggest storyline entering the weekend – it was the first race for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with the new hybrid powertrain system. This win was a testament not just to the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew, but to the whole team for being in position to enter this new era in a position to compete at the top.