Of the three INDYCAR champs who made the trip to Foro Sol in Mexico City for the 2019 Race of Champions, it was Patricio O'Ward who put on the most impressive show.
The reigning Indy Lights champion tallied two wins in Saturday's Nations Cup, knocking off Mexico's Benito Guerra (Rallycar) and Germany's Mick Schumacher (Formula 3) to advance to the semifinal round. There, he was edged by Sweden's Johan Kristoffersson (Rallycar). Team USA, represented by 2017 NTT IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden and 2012 series champ Ryan Hunter-Reay, was eliminated in Pool C.
In the individual Race of Champions, he knocked off retired F1 star David Coulthard and NASCAR Mexico's Abraham Calderon to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. There, he got the best of Kristofferson in a rematch. DTM racer Loic Duval edged O'Ward in the semifinal, but the NTT IndyCar Series rookie had already grabbed the attention of fans around the world.