O’Ward: “It’s a bummer we didn’t have more” for Indy 500 shot

Ericsson, who had been leading by three seconds before the red flag came out for Jimmie Johnson’s shunt, employed the usual snaking defensive maneuvers down the straight over the final two lap shootout, and had no problem staving off the AMSP driver’s attack over the penultimate lap.

However, coming off Turn 4, the Mexican youngster had greater momentum and when Ericsson protected the inside, the AMSP driver flicked right to draw alongside on the outside into Turn 1. But Ericsson had eased right in order to get a good line through the turn and wasn’t about to capitulate, and so it was O’Ward who had to back off.

“He was gonna put me in the wall if I would have gone for it,” O’Ward told NBC. “We were alongside each other.

“Man, I’m so proud of the team and proud of myself. We did everything to get it done, and even getting a massive run on him… We had no wicker, less downforce and still not enough speed to get by him, even with a massive run.

“It’s frustrating, it’s bittersweet… agh! I’m so proud but it definitely stings because I feel like the team and I did everything perfectly to get it done, and something that was out of our control was why we struggled in the end.

“All these guys deserve it, and I felt like I drove a race to position us there. It’s just a bummer – a bummer we didn’t have more.

“We have work to do, and we’ll come back next year, and we’ll come back faster, with a better racecar and go at it again.”

Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images

O’Ward’s teammate Felix Rosenqvist finished fourth after a strong Month of May for the AMSP-Chevy team, and was by contrast with O’Ward, the Swede was upbeat.

“It feels good man, I’m so happy with our Arrow McLaren