Pato O’Ward has been one of the most successful Indianapolis 500 drivers in recent years, but when Ryan Hunter-Reay speaks, O’Ward is all ears.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “You have to listen to guys like that, and I certainly do.”

Hunter-Reay nearly won the 2013 “500” and did so the next year, driving through the grass to pass Helio Castroneves for the late-race lead. Hunter-Reay was poised to win for the second time last year when his crew ran him out of fuel coming to the final pit stop.

Among Hunter-Reay’s 17 starts at Indy are 219 laps led, a figure which ranks 27th in event history. Scott Dixon and Castroneves are the only drivers in this field who have led more. Hunter-Reay also has led more laps in his Indy career than 41 drivers who have won the race.

Hunter-Reay won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in 2012 and has 18 career wins, one more than his boss, Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan.

And perhaps best of all, Hunter-Reay’s experience on this oval is rooted in drives for six teams -- Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Vision, AJ Foyt, Andretti Autosport, Dreyer & Reinbold and ECR – before joining Arrow McLaren for this year’s race.

One of those stops is why Hunter-Reay is driving for the No. 31 Prize Picks Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. In 2010, he teamed with Kanaan in Michael Andretti’s organization, and they made an instant connection. Kanaan has often called Hunter-Reay one of his favorite teammates, and now, as Arrow McLaren’s team principal, he jumped at the chance to hire the Floridian.

After last year’s disappointment, Hunter-Reay found himself in a conversation in the driver bus lot with Kanaan and Dario Franchitti. Hunter-Reay described it as “an organic” conversation, and he remembers being “completely drained mentally and physically.”

Kanaan could sense how much Hunter-Reay, a 45-year-old father of three boys, still had to give – and wanted to give – to win the “500.” When NASCAR champion Kyle Larson decided not to return to Arrow McLaren for this event, Kanaan made Hunter-Reay his first call. There was no deliberation on Hunter-Reay’s part, as it can be argued this is his best opportunity to win the “500” since stepping out of his full-season ride with Andretti Autosport after 2021.

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Hunter-Reay (photo, above) has been more than an Arrow McLaren driver this week; he has been a consultant at all six NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. And the team members say they’re better for it. Christian Lundgaard, who won last weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix, and Nolan Siegel couldn’t be happier with the advice they’ve received from the veteran.

“It’s a huge help,” Siegel said. “Larson’s different perspective was cool, and it was great to work with him, but Ryan’s experience is so valuable for the whole team. Remember, we have such a young driver lineup, and while Pato’s experience is very good, especially here (at Indy), it’s not at the level of Ryan’s, especially with him (driving for) so many different teams. He has so many different experiences.

“He’s been very successful, and you can tell.”

Said Lundgaard: “He brings more knowledge, more credibility. I don’t think anyone on the team ever questions what we (the drivers) say, but it’s very nice to have a race winner behind us talking about (the same things) that we’re feeling.”

Lundgaard said Hunter-Reay’s secret strength is the questions he asks.

“Not just of the drivers but also the engineers,” Lundgaard said. “He has the understanding that he knows that what’s good now might not be good later (because) of how sensitive the temperature makes things here. He puts things in somewhat of a different picture.”

Hunter-Reay was flattered to hear how much Arrow McLaren’s regular drivers think of him and his contributions. “That’s cool,” he said. His goal is to offer them “a 10,000-foot view” of how to be successful on the track, and he expects to be even more beneficial as this event rolls on.

“What I bring is experience driving all these different cars, especially here, and (Arrow McLaren’s approach) is all they know,” he said.

Hunter-Reay seemed clear he’s enjoying his role with the team, and there are signs the role could grow in the weeks and months to come. Kanaan is an example of how a fresh voice within the organization can lead to an even bigger platform when his driving career ends.

Hunter-Reay surely will want to remain based in Fort Lauderdale, where he and his family have lived for the past two decades. But working with Arrow McLaren during race weekends could be his last stop.

“Let me put it this way,” Kanaan said of keeping Hunter-Reay around as a driver. “If he wins (the May 24 race), he’s going to have to come back (to drive). If he doesn’t, he’s going to have to decide.

“I want him here as long as he wants to be here. He’s an incredible asset for this team.”