IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward puts up billboard, sells merch featuring 'Pato who?' line

Pato O'Ward is leaning into "Pato Who?"

The 25-year-old IndyCar Series driver who has been clamoring for a race in his native Mexico is selling merchandise featuring the line he delivered after winning a late-season race in Milwaukee .

There's also a billboard featuring the phrase in Speedway.

After taking that checkered flag − and after venting over IndyCar's lack of urgency in expanding its geographic footprint − he donned a sombrero during the news conference and delivered the "Pato who?" line while joking with Will Power.

O'Ward has said IndyCar has rebuffed multiple efforts to race in Mexico, his home country.

Champ Car last raced in Mexico in 2007. Formula One has an annual stop there and NASCAR recently announced a Mexico race. O'Ward plans to drive in a support race at F1's event next month in Mexico City.

Point of contention: IndyCar's lack of a Mexico City race is symptom of a larger issue

“They said, ‘If you want us to rent you the place, we’ll rent you the place, but we don’t want to partner because we think it’s too early. You’re not well enough known yet to be in Mexico City,’” IndyCar CEO Mark Miles relayed of his conversations with Mexican race officials in recent years. “What that means is they have a view that we’re not well enough known, nor is (O’Ward) yet, to populate an event at that track.

“I know how many seats they can take out, and they can do lots of things, but they think we don’t have the market penetration yet.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward puts up billboard, sells merch featuring 'Pato who?' line