Pato O’Ward. (Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar) Series

By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio

Arrow McLaren ace Pato O’Ward returned to his INDYCAR office Monday with gusto.

O’Ward topped the overall time chart at 52.3470-seconds/114.849 mph Monday morning on Sebring International Raceway’s historic and notoriously bumpy 1.67-mile “short course” layout. Monday’s session in Central Florida was the first of two days of an NTT IndyCar Series Group Test heading into next month’s 2025 season-opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

Twenty-six drivers turning hot laps were separated into morning and afternoon groups, with each receiving four hours of track time. O’Ward, who finished fifth in the 2024 championship standings, made it clear he savored every minute strapped into the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

“Oh, man, it’s the best feeling in the world; it’s the best job in the world,” said O’Ward, a 25-year-old native of Mexico with family ties to San Antonio. “I was so excited to come back to Sebring and get into an INDYCAR car, getting to work with the engineers again. It definitely feels like home, and it’s a second family to me. So, always excited to get rolling.”

Native New Zealander Marcus Armstrong was second overall with the quickest time in the afternoon session, 52.3675-seconds/114.804 mph, in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing teammate Felix Rosenqvist. The Swede was sidelined with a fever and did not participate in the session.

“In the end, we limited the running on the No. 60 car to save (Firestone Firehawk) tires for Felix, but I feel really fresh,” Armstrong said after logging 38 laps. “Feel like I haven’t done anything. Feel like I could do it all again. So happy that I’m not tired after doing so many laps.”

The time sheets showed no clear advantage in track and weather conditions during either session. Three of the five quickest times were logged in the morning, two in the afternoon. The top-10 times overall were split evenly between the two groups.

Two-time defending and three-time/reigning series champion Alex Palou of Spain was third overall at 52.4948-seconds/114.526 mph from the morning session in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Series journeyman Conor Daly recorded a strong afternoon session in the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet to place fourth overall at 52.5931-seconds/114.312 mph.

“We were fast all day in our group,” Daly said. “So, that’s really encouraging. We made a lot of progress with a lot of changes that we wanted to get through. And that’s what this testing is for. It’s so important. To be fast and at the front, that’s our goal every day.”

Christian Lundgaard completed the top-five at 52.6626-seconds/114.161 mph in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Lundgaard, a native of Denmark, moved to Arrow McLarenafter spending the previous three seasons with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Honda power.

Led by Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing _ typically one of the series’ smaller teams _ placed two cars in the top-six when Sting Ray Robb ended up sixth overall at 52.7761-seconds/113.915mph running in the morning session in the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet. Robb joined Juncos Hollinger after driving last season for A.J. Foyt Racing.

The extended track activity produced only one incident with contact. Nolan Siegel was uninjured in the afternoon session after hitting a barrier at the exit of Turn 7 in his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The car sustained moderate damage to the right side and rear sections.

Drivers combined to turn 1,311 laps between the two sessions. One key driver whose track time was seriously limited was Scott Dixon. The six-time series champion from New Zealand turned only two laps during the afternoon due to a mechanical problem in his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The 2025 season will launch on Sunday, March 2, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the Streets of St. Pete in Florida. Broadcast coverage will begin at noon (EST) on new series partners FOX Sports, FOX Deportes and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

INDYCAR will roll into the 2025 season, and its latest branding exercise, with a new boss. Penske Entertainment recently announced several updates to its senior leadership structure in a bid to position the organization to capitalize on significant growth opportunities.

Key changes include:

_ Doug Boles has been named President of both INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, succeeding Jay Frye.

_ Mark Sibla has been promoted to Senior Vice President, INDYCAR Competition & Operations.

_ Kyle Novak is INDYCAR’s new Vice President of Officiating and Race Control.

_ Alex Damron has been named Chief Marketing Officer, INDYCAR, while also continuing as Vice President of Corporate Communications for Penske Entertainment.

_ Louis Kissinger has been promoted to General Manager, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Operations.

Boles brings decades of motorsports experience to his new responsibilities, including serving as President of Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2013. During his tenure at IMS, Bolesoversaw the sellout of the 100th Indianapolis 500 in May 2017, the first full-capacity crowd in the event’s storied history. In addition, he has managed more than $150-million in strategic investment at the “Racing Capital of the World,” including “Project 100” and significant infrastructure improvements following the acquisition of IMS by Roger S. Penske and Penske Corp.

“Doug is the ideal choice to lead both INDYCAR and IMS as we enter a new era of opportunity and visibility,” Penske Entertainment President & CEO Mark Miles said. “He’s an exceptional leader and motivator who is appreciated by our fans and respected by our owners, drivers, partners and additional key stakeholders.”

Across his tenure at IMS, Boles has been particularly lauded for his promotional prowess and strategic marketing capabilities, growing the Speedway’s global reach and better connecting Indy 500 fans to the NTT IndyCar Series. As a founding partner and Chief Operating Officer at Panther Racing and as Hulman & Company’s Vice President of Communications, Boles worked extensively within the INDYCAR paddock, as well.

At Panther Racing, Boles helped lead the Indianapolis-based team to 15 INDYCAR race wins and two series championships, in addition to seven INDY NXT by Firestone race wins and a championship. In total, he has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in motorsports, within team operations, sponsorship, marketing, public relations and more.

“Racing is in my DNA, and no form of racing resonates more personally and strongly with me than the NTT IndyCar Series,” Boles said. “I’m honored to lead the amazing team at INDYCAR, and I truly believe the future is bigger and brighter than ever for our sport and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I’m extremely grateful to Mark Miles for this opportunity, and fans can rest assured the hard work is already under way and 2025 will be a fantastic season.”

Frye, meanwhile, departs the organization following 10 years in the role of President. Frye led a period of tremendous successes at INDYCAR, including securing the entitlement series sponsorships with Verizon and NTT, development of the AK18 universal aero kit, development and implementation of the total driver cockpit safety solution aeroscreen and state-of-the-art hybrid technology introduction. In addition, Frye oversaw an expanded grid with incredible competition.

“It has been an absolute honor and privilege to be the President of INDYCAR and work alongside the dedicated and talented men and women at INDYCAR and in the INDYCAR paddock,” Frye said. “The growth and success the series has had over the last 10 years would not be possible without the commitment and collaboration of the owners, drivers and teams.”

In both his dual role at INDYCAR and as IMS President, Boles will report to Penske Entertainment President & CEO Miles. As Boles manages strategic vision and priorities across both INDYCAR and IMS, several additional staffing updates will help oversee day-to-day operations within each organization.

At INDYCAR, Sibla will preside as Senior Vice President of INDYCAR Competition and Operations. Sibla has been a senior member of INDYCAR’s management team for more than a decade and will lead workstreams focused on general operations and special initiatives, such as development of the new car.

Also at INDYCAR, Novak begins an expanded role as Vice President of Officiating and Race Control. In this position he will lead both the Race Control and Race Tech teams at INDYCAR, responsible for ensuring rigorous and equitable enforcement of NTT IndyCar Series and INDY NXT presented by Firestone competition regulations. Novak has served as INDYCAR’s Race Director since the 2018 season and was elected to the FIA General Assembly in 2022.

In addition, as INDYCAR prepares for new levels of audience exposure via its relationship with FOX Sports, Damron will serve as Chief Marketing Officer, charged with fully implementing a maximized and unified promotional plan for the sport. In this role, Damron will lead the marketing and communications teams at INDYCAR. He also will continue as Vice President of Corporate Communications for Penske Entertainment, responsible for overseeing IMS PR efforts and Penske Entertainment’s photo and editorial operations.

“We’re confident Alex is ready for this opportunity,” Miles said. “He’s played an integral role in our transition to FOX Sports, driving significant work to implement the phenomenal promotional initiatives we’ve already seen, ensuring we can quickly and efficiently leverage new opportunities.”

The NTT IndyCar Series is the only premier motorsport in the United States with every race set for broadcast on network television via FOX Sports. For more info, visit www.INDYCAR.com.

At IMS, Kissinger steps into the role of General Manager, IMS Operations, leading teams responsible for suite/hospitality sales, track operations and event operations. Kissinger began his career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway serving as a distinguished Orr Fellow, with his most recent role being Director of Event Operations & Experience at IMS.

FOX SPORTS’ 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES BROADCAST COVERAGE SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 2 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (FOX, Noon)*

Sunday, March 23 _The Thermal Club, Thermal, Calif. (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, April 13 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif. (FOX, 4:30 p.m.)

Sunday, May 4 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. (FOX, 1:30 p.m.)

Saturday, May 10 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course (FOX, 4:30 p.m.)

Sunday, May 25 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval (FOX, 10 a.m.)

Sunday, June 1 _ Streets of Detroit (FOX, 12:30 p.m.)

Sunday, June 15 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill. (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, June 22 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. (FOX, 3:30 p.m.)

Sunday, July 6 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Saturday, July 12 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 1 (FOX, 5 p.m.)

Sunday, July 13 _ Iowa Speedway, Newton, Race 2 (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, July 20 _ Streets of Toronto, Canada (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, July 27 _ WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 10 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway (FOX, 3 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 24 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis. (FOX, 2 p.m.)

Sunday, Aug. 31 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn. (2:30 p.m.)

*NOTE _ All times Eastern. Dates and times subject to change.

Final 2024 NTT IndyCar Series point standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 544; 2, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 513; 3, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 505; 4, Will Power, Team Penske, 498; 5, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 460; 6, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 456; 7, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 420; 8, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 401; 9, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 367; 10, Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren, 366;

11, Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 312; 12, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 306; 13, Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing, 300; 14, Marcus Armstrong, Chip Ganassi Racing, 298; 15, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 297; 16, Linus Lundqvist, Chip Ganassi Racing, 279;17, Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 260; 18, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 251; 19, Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 186; 20, Sting Ray Robb, A.J. Foyt Racing, 185;

21, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 182; 22, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 163; 23, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 154; 24, David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing, 148;25, Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing, 143; 26, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 119; 27, Augustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 109; 28, Theo Pourchaire, Arrow McLaren, 91; 29, Katherine Legge, Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, 61; 30, Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 46;

31, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 45; 32, Toby Sowery, Dale Coyne Racing, 45; 33, Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren, 39; 34, Luca Ghiotto, Dale Coyne Racing, 27; 35, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 26; 36, Kyle Larson, Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren, 21; 37, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 19; 38, Tristan Vautier, Dale Coyne Racing, 12; 39, Juri Vips, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 11; 40, Colin Braun, Dale Coyne Racing, 10;

41, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-Cusick Motorsports, 6; 42, Hunter McElrea, Dale Coyne Racing, 6; 43, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb Agajanian, 5.