"Still nobody knows him" - Fans hilariously react as Pato O'Ward claims IndyCar merch sales crown

IndyCar fans have humorously doubled down on the 'Pato Who?' trend on X after Pato O'Ward claimed the IndyCar merchandise sales crown for 2024. Penske Entertainment released two lists encapsulating the top jersey and merch sales for the series drivers.

O'Ward, who is a fan favorite and Mexico's only active IndyCar driver, topped the list with Team Penske's Josef Newgarden and Ed Carpenter Racing's Alex Rossi rounding up the Top 3. However, O'Ward's merch sales from his special 2024 collection, 'Pato Who?' weren't included in Penske Entertainment's list.

The Arrow McLaren driver released the collection in September this year with a hilariously self-deprecating name after Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles claimed he wasn't famous enough to warrant an IndyCar race in his home country, Mexico. While Miles' intention wasn't to put the rising superstar down, which he later clarified too, a meme for the ages was born.

Fans used that same 'Pato Who?' on X to react to Pato O'Ward being the leader in merch sales. One fan posted:

Another fan wrote:

"Did they release actual numbers? Wondering how many Pato products were sold compared to others. On social media be is literally bigger than the series itself. Would be interesting to see how that compares in merch sales. But who is he anyway🤷‍♀️🤭🧡"

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Pato is a rock star, he cares deeply about us fans, he connects with us, he has an amazing talent and his merch is awesome! #Vamo5Pato #PatoWho" wrote another X user.

One fan seemingly referenced the same meme, writing:

"But how is this possible? I was reliably informed that..."

A couple of fans also referred to O'Ward buying billboard space on 16th Street, Indy, to advertise his 'Pato Who?' collection. One wrote:

"Yeah, but I want to know who has the most billboards."

"But how many billboards is he on? That's what really matters," wrote another.

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The Mark Miles comment that inspired Pato O'Ward to advertise 'Pato Who?' on a billboard

On August 27, NASCAR announced that the Cup Series will race in Mexico from 2025 onwards. Pato O'Ward, who had been repeatedly urging IndyCar to hold a race there, felt disappointed.

"They beat us to the cake," he said (via Speedcafe) after NASCAR's announcement. "I strongly believe that we’re not only late, but I strongly believe there isn’t any more room in Mexico City. You need to understand that these people save up their money to go to these events."

Mark Miles responded to the Arrow McLaren star's comments, saying:

"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. He’ll probably complain that I haven’t dragged him in, and that he should be the guy to go in and make the deal. I do think Pato is a natural star, and I do think this is going to happen, but in 2021, I’m quite certain they (local promoters) didn’t think it was time."

Miles' 2021 reference was to the Mexico City race promoters being skeptical of IndyCar selling out the seats as F1 did, on the back of home hero Sergio Perez's popularity. But it was his billboard comment that started a new saga.

O'Ward indirectly responded to Miles' comment on X by posting a billboard of NASCAR advertising its return to the Milwaukee Mile. He wrote:

"Speaking of billboards. Guess who is not on one?"

The day after the post, Pato O'Ward won the Milwaukee Mile 1 and posted a series of photos of the post-race celebrations on Instagram with the caption "Pato WHO?" which he soon used to name his collection and advertise on a billboard.

In 2024, the Mexican finished 5th in the standings with three wins and six Top 5 finishes.