After nine entertaining Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires races to start the season, the series was due for an event that one driver dominated.

Patricio O’Ward started his seventh race of the year on the pole and led all 100 laps to collect his fourth win of the season. It’s the young Mexican driver’s 11th win in 46 Mazda Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires starts.

The win moves O’Ward to within eight points of Colton Herta in the chase for the $1 million.

Urrutia was apparently ready to go when the green flag flew for the 100 lap Mazda Iowa 100 Presented by Cooper Tires, moving from the fifth starting spot to second by the time the field completed the first 0.894-mile lap.

The running order after the first lap was. O’Ward, Urrutia, Herta, Norman, Kellett, Telitz, and Franzoni.

There was some early movement, but for the majority of the 34-minute race, the best battle was between Urrutia and his Belardi Auto Racing No. 5 and Herta and his No. 98 Andretti Steinbrenner Racing machine.

The championship leader stalked the two-time Indy Lights champion before making a daring move to the inside of Turn 3 with five laps remaining.

The win was the first Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires win at Iowa Speedway for Andretti Autosport.

The podium was Herta’s eighth straight podium and 16th career Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires podium.

Urrutia now has 21 Indy Lights podiums and 31 career Mazda Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires podiums.

Mazda Iowa 100 Presented by Cooper Tires results

RANK CAR NO. DRIVER DIFFERENCE
1 27 Pato O’Ward 100 laps
2 98 Colton Herta 2.8258
3 5 Santi Urrutia 5.6820
4 48 Ryan Norman 6.0403
5 28 Dalton Kellett 7.9356
6 23 Victor Franzoni 8.5758
7 9 Aaron Telitz 9.5601