IndyCar star Pato O'Ward is giving an inside look at what it's like leading up to one of the most prestigious races in motorsports ... telling TMZ Sports he's like a kid on Christmas Eve the night before the Indianapolis 500 -- 'cause he can barely sleep!!
The Arrow McLaren driver is starting eighth in Sunday's huge event ... with the hopes of securing his first-ever victory at the Brickyard.
We asked the 25-year-old if he has any pre-race rituals or superstitions he's implemented into his routine to get ready for 500 miles of chaos ... and it turns out, it's pretty simple.
"I try to get as much sleep as I can the night before, but it's really hard, man," O'Ward told us this week. "No matter how hard you try and get that good sleep, by 5:45 AM my eyes are always just popping open."
It makes sense -- there's so much hype surrounding the race ... as every driver's got it circled on their calendars in hopes of being the one to come in first when the checkered flag is waved.
"The buildup is unlike any other event which is obviously probably what makes it pretty hard to sleep -- at least for me, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one."
O'Ward also talked about the preparations for the race ... and broke down all the work that goes down weeks in advance just for the big moment.