23 March 2024 00:00 (UTC)
"I'm happy with the points day and we're going to keep pushing"
The Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team capped off a productive weekend at The Thermal Club with P2 and P3 results for Pato and Christian. Nolan battled through the middle of the pack and emerged in P19.
The No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet were strong contenders for much of the race, leading the pack for a significant portion. In the final stages, however, strategy played a pivotal role with the team falling just short of the top step.
Nonetheless, the team secured their second double podium in team history (Indy GP - 2023), while Pato and Christian now sit second and fourth in the championship standings respectively.
The next race is Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13 on FOX.
Location | Thermal, Calif. |
Race Date | March 23 |
Round | 2 out of 17 |
Total Laps | 65 laps |
Total Race Distance | 199.36 miles / 320.84 km |
Length | 3.07 miles / 4.94 km |
Number of Turns | 17 |
Starting Position | 1st | |
Finishing Position | 2nd | |
Championship Standings | 63 points | 2nd |
"We took a gamble and it didn't work out for us. We used our new Firestone Alternate tires in the start because we really didn't know what the degradation profile was going to look like. The Firestone Primary tires turned into a bit of a negative toward the end of the race, and from that point we didn't really have a fighting chance. We expect to fight for the championship each year, and weekends like this are where every point does count for so much more. But when you miss it by just that much, you definitely leave feeling like you left some points on the table where we would have looked at something different. I'm happy with the points today and we're going to keep pushing. It's a long, long, long season ahead, and the ovals are a different beast, as well." |
Starting Position | 2nd | |
Finishing Position | 3rd | |
Championship Standings | 60 points | 4th |
"This was a good second weekend. I think we did a good job at the end of the day. We might have made a few mistakes from a strategy standpoint, but overall it's been a very good weekend. Qualifying first and second and finishing second and third, I think we can take that. We'll build on this and come back even stronger with a first and second next time." |
Starting Position | 16th | |
Finishing Position | 19th | |
Championship Standings | 16 points | 23rd |
"That was extremely frustrating. I think we had good race pace, but we ended up on the wrong strategy. We did one more stop than everyone else and couldn't make up that time again. I'm frustrated and disappointed, and I don't think that's what this group deserves. I feel like I've said that every weekend now and we need to do something to stop feeling that way. Hopefully, we have a better one in Long Beach." |
"It was a good day. Obviously, it was disappointing to not win, but a year ago, this was one of the tracks that we struggled the most at. So for us to come in here this year and dominate until the last pit sequence, I'll take that any day. We're all encouraged and happy with the result. This was a good job by the team and we executed the way we planned. If we aren't going to win, then having two cars on the podium is the next best thing. We're greedy and we're going to keep pushing. I want to thank the team here, in the shop in Indy and at Team Chevy. I think we're setting the bar on the Chevrolet side and we're fighting for the championship. These are good points for us, but right now we're chasing one guy, and we'll keep chasing him." |
