O’Ward started 11th on the grid after scrappy practice sessions – that included a hard sideways glance of the wall that bent a wheel – and a difficult qualifying run.
While teammate Felix Rosenqvist started fourth but dropped down the field after clashing with Alexander Rossi, O’Ward went in the opposite direction. His final pass into fifth place came when Dixon ahead was held up by the limping damaged car of his Ganassi teammate, Marcus Ericsson.
“Today was honestly very solid for us,” said O’Ward. “I know it’s not a win but we’ve had a very rough start to our year. All I wanted for the team today was to get a nice, solid foundation and I’ll take care of the rest.
“We can build on momentum today, and we should be proud of that. We went forward, not just a couple of positions but a good handful.
“There’s 14 races to go, so plenty of races, and this was a significant step forward considering where we started.
“In the beginning of the weekend we were nowhere. I…
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