TORONTO, Ontario — Sometimes it’s better to be lucky more than anything, as Oliver Askew experienced at the Honda Indy Toronto this past weekend.

Starting on pole for the second event of the weekend for the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, he would not get the jump on the initial start as a result of “something happening with the engine.” As a result, he dropped back to third behind Aaron Telitz and Rinus Veekay.

However, it worked in his favor as the pair would make contact going down into turn three, getting into the tire barriers, with Askew able to get by them both.

“I was just patient saving the tires and it was going to be hard to pass Rinus (Veekay) there in the beginning,” he told POPULAR OPEN WHEEL. “It’s hard to pass in general so I was surprised that the 21 car (Veekay) was pushing the issue there in turn three, and I just had a feeling that something was going to happen. It happened a few years ago when I was running third and I got tangled up in it because I was running too close.

“So I was just anticipating something like that happening, and lucky for me, unlucky for them, as we leave here with a big points lead heading into the second half of the year.”

His fourth victory of the season allows him to extend his points lead to 25 markers ahead of Rinus Veekay following the 11th race of the 2019 campaign.

“We just have to take it weekend-by-weekend,” he commented. “The goal is to win every race, but at the same time, not push the issue and finish on the podium at the end of every race. Hopefully we can rack up enough points to hold serve in Laguna Seca.”

The new addition of Leguna Seca to the Indy Lights schedule could produce a special moment for Askew. He began his Road to Indy career by winning the USF2000 Shootout in 2016, and could walk away from the road course with the Indy Lights championship.