Arrow McLaren 2025 Iowa Speedway Doubleheader Race 1 Report
Iowa Speedway
Practice, qualifying and race date: Saturday, July 12
Round: 11/17
Total laps: 275
Total race distance: 240.625 mi / 387.256 km
Length: 0.875 mi / 1.41 km
Number of turns: 4
Session start times:
- Race 2: Sunday, 12:20 p.m. CDT on FOX
TUNE IN: Sunday, 12:00 p.m. CDT on FOX
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Practice: P4
Total laps: 53
Qualifying – Race 1: P5, 183.096 mph
Qualifying – Race 2: P9, 182.645 mph
Starting position: P5
Finishing position: P1
Championship position: 2nd, 356 points
“We were flirting with fire on my in-lap, and I was really trying to maximize everything on that sequence. Josef is the king around this place and has been so dominant on ovals for most of his career. We had so many duels, and thanks to him I’ve had a lot more seconds than firsts. Today was the day that I said, ‘You know what, this all changes,’ and we beat him on his own track. I’m super pumped for the No. 5 crew and everyone at Arrow McLaren. This was the first win for Team Chevy this season, as it is for the team and myself. Glad we could get this win in the books and have an opportunity to do it again. This car is phenomenal. I wish we had a bit better qualifying for tomorrow, but I think we’ll be able to move our way forward.”
Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Practice: P18
Total laps: 53
Qualifying – Race 1: P21, 179.975 mph
Qualifying – Race 2: P22, 180.290 mph
Starting position: P21
Finishing position: P21
Championship position: 6th, 272 points
“Today was very long and disappointing. At the end of the day, we finished where we started. Anything that possibly could go wrong, went wrong. We had an engine control unit issue as we were getting out on track, and while it didn’t put us a lap down, we lost the time to warm up our tires. It’s tough because obviously we wanted to get more out of the car today, but I think we learned a lot for tomorrow. The No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet is good enough to finish in the top 10, if not better. Big congratulations to Pato and the No. 5 crew. What an awesome showing by Team Chevy today.”
Nolan Siegel, No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Practice: P2
Total laps: 67
Qualifying – Race 1: P8, 182.807 mph
Qualifying – Race 2: P5, 183.645 mph
Starting position: P8
Finishing position: P24
Championship position: 21st, 153 points
“I think we had a strong day going overall. I was really happy with the balance of the car; we had good qualifying and are starting even better tomorrow. It was unfortunate to end the way that we did, but pace was good. We were moving forward and passing people. We’re fighting with the people that we want to be fighting with and fighting for top-five finishes. It’s not a bad place to be. There are positives to take away, and hopefully we can finish it properly tomorrow.”
Tony Kanaan, Team Principal
“A win always feels good, but it’s the first win for Team Chevy, and Pato wins in his 100th race after previously winning in his 50th here. It’s also my first win as a Team Principal, so all of this makes it a very special day. It was a hard-fought day for Pato. Nolan was having a very strong race and a very strong weekend, so it’s too bad that his race ended early. Christian ended where he started after a tough day at the track. One driver is happy, the other two are hungry, and the good news is we’ll have another chance to go racing tomorrow. This is great momentum, and I’m thrilled for Chevy. Big props to the entire team and all the boys and girls back at the shop, as well. Being back on the podium here in a different way was pretty special.”