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'PATO WHO?': The popularity of the IndyCar biggest driver - Vroom Effect


Pato O’Ward wins at Milwaukee. (Photo: Joe Skibinski | Penske Entertainment)
The movement that started as a pity action and became the mark of a fandom, so... Happy 'Pato Who?' day for the one's who celebrate

If you know heard about IndyCar, you must have heard of a guy name Pato O'Ward, and sometimes even if you haven't heard of the category you know his name, maybe because his McLaren F1 Team reserve driver, or due to his online presence. Now, imagine someone saying his not that popular, to make things worse, imagine being the category's CEO

Patricio O'Ward Junco, or just Pato O'Ward is a 26 years old, Mexican, Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver and McLaren Formula 1 Team reserve driver. For a while, him and his fans have asking for a race in Mexico, but for a lot of reasons this does not happened.
When NASCAR announced a race in Mexico City, that still would happened in 2024, O'Ward and other drivers, such as Dixon and Palou, talked about how IndyCar was missing for not having a race there. For IndyStar and another reporters, Mark Miles, IndyCar Series CEO, talk about how the category was not ready for it and how Indy and O'Ward were not as popular in Mexico, but there was a comment in specific that it didn't sit right with Pato, his fans not even other drives:
I will say that it’s clear that Pato isn’t as famous as the last previously famous Mexican driver – Adrian Fernandez – but he’s really gaining ground, and he’s actually on some billboards now
All this happened in August 30th, but what was happening in that weekend the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250, but unfortunately for IndyCar the racing event that it was being promoted in the city was the NASCAR that happened in the previous weekend.
NASCAR and IndyCar are the two biggest motorsport categories in USA, but while NASCAR invest a lot in promotion being online, billboards, and other ways, while IndyCar is more shy, let's put this way. But, let's going back to 2024, O'Ward being pity he post:

But if you think that was the end of this, nop! 

The Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 was a double race weekend, after winning the Race 1, Pato posted some photos and videos with his team celebrating, the caption? "Pato Who?"
But, if Pato's pity, his big boss is more, in the comments Zak Brown commented: "Never heard of him.  He any good?"
The fans went crazy, besides of a lot of comments asking 'Pato Who?' was in every IndyCar's and Pato's posts. Jornalist, fans and drivers posting how popular Pato O'Ward really is, from comparation of followers, O'Ward having more followers than Josef Newgarden, 2024 Indy500 winner, and even the category itself, how his merch tent is always crowded, in the autograph session the line is always huge, the drivers - yep, his competitors - saying how hard is doing the debrief 'cause his fans are loud, and so much more.
This was topic even in the post-race 1 press conference:
Later Saturday, Jenna Fryer from The Associated Press reviewed a Miles' letter to the operators of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez authorizing two proxies to negotiate a IndyCar race in Mexico. Fryer also reported that Nascar invited O'Ward to race in Mexico, but, unfortunately,  that would crashed with his agenda.

When life gives you lemons... the 'Pato Who?' joke became merch and, of course, a billboard.



Then on September 11th was announced that O'Ward was going to drive the McL38 in front of his home crowd during FP1. In the following day, Brown wrote an open letter about the future of IndyCar poked the need of international races in the category:
I think we would be much better served by focusing on more events in large markets closer to the U.S. to enhance our foray into Canada. In the past, the races we’ve run in Mexico and in Brazil were extremely popular with fans as they also love IndyCar racing, so when we talk about international expansion, my preference would be to remain within the continents of North and South America. I think we will see more growth in major markets closer to home so let’s focus on the Americas and not get distracted. Focusing on these regions makes much better strategic sense, building on our established fanbase.
On September 15th, the last race of the 2024 season, the king of pity, Zak Brown, sent a message in a simple and clear way he would support his driver, and this was not the last time he would a reference about 'Pato Who?'
On October 21st was announced that Pato as an ambassador for KitKat, and during the Gran Premio de la Ciudad de México 2024, the company made a meet and greet, and the event was huge, bigger than anyone was expect. Well... Pato Who?

After Pato's FP1 in Mexico, Brown did a live and here it's just a short part where of him being the Pity King we love, saying: “I hope we answered one question, who is Pato”

This became a joke in the in the category fandom, but no hard feelings between O'Ward, Arrow McLaren driver, and Miles... Miles understood he was wrong

As I said no bad blood between Pato and Mark, even then a playing with this in the beginning of the year.

With Fox requiring the IndyCar image rights, they made more promotion of the category, still not the ideal, but it's better of previous year, we can talk about another day. However, they prepared some promos for this season, one of the 2024 champion: Alex Palou, another of 2024 Indy500 winner: Josef Newgarden, and of course, the most popular driver of the category:

We still don't have the IndyCar 2026 calendar, tell me do you believe that we will have an Mexican race?
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