LEEDS, Alabama – It was a “Tale of Two Will Powers” in Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.
There was the “Old Will Power” – reminiscent of the driver who was blazingly fast in the early days of his Team Penske career, but with self-inflicted errors that would cost him the championship. From 2010 to 2012, Power was the fastest driver on the track, but the mental miscues added up and the distraught driver would watch someone else celebrate the title in the last race of the season. In 2013, Power was out of contention for the championship early and used the second half of the season to work on the art of his craft. That would allow him to finally overcome his mental mistakes in 2014 to win his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship.
That created the age of the “New Will Power” – a driver who could combine experience and brains along with a heavy right foot on the accelerator pedal to win races and potentially more championships in IndyCar.
Power was solidly in contention at Barber Motorsports Park before he pitted on Lap 18 for four tires and fuel. But as Power pulled out of pit lane, he drove right into the path of the speeding Takuma Sato on the racetrack and the two cars crashed. Power’s Chevrolet was able to continue but INDYCAR Race Control penalized him for “avoidable contact” and Power had to serve a drive through penalty on pit road that dropped him far, far, far down the field of 23 cars in the race.
That display was “Old Will Power” – the one we all liked for being quirky and could count on for making a big mistake.
Enter, “New Will Power.” Over the remainder of the 90-lap race, the driver from Toowoomba, Australia drove fearlessly and flawlessly. He raced his way through the field to finish fourth.
“After all of that, I can’t believe I got to P4 after all of that,” Power said. “Oh man, I feel bad about that.
“I actually passed quite a few cars. It was nice the way the yellow fell after we got the penalty because it actually helped us. Then it was a matter of passing people, saving fuel, passing when you could and saving when you could. I had no idea Sato was there. I thought I was clear. I feel bad for him.”
Power’s car was unharmed but the contact left small pebbles of stone and debris go down his back that he had to contend with for the rest of the race.
To overcome a big mistake early in a race and fight back for a fourth place finish could help determine the championship later in the season.
“We had a few of those last year, too, so that was a really good result,” Power said. “The finish I had at Long Beach last week was a big hit. But today’s race was a very good race because the tires degraded. I’ve always said when the tires degrade it makes for really good racing and that is what happened.
“It was probably the best race of the year so far for IndyCar. The tire degradation and the way the strategies feel made for really good racing.”
With teammate Helio Castroneves starting on the pole, Power second, Simon Pagenaud third and Juan Pablo Montoya 15th, Power was shocked that after his incident he would ultimately become the highest finishing Team Penske driver. Pagenaud finished ninth, Montoya 14th and Castroneves 15th.
“That was a pleasant surprise considering those drivers are the ones I’m fighting with in the championship,” Power said.
Montoya continues to lead the Verizon IndyCar Series points by three over Castroneves. Scott Dixon, who finished third on Sunday, is third 13 points out of the lead with race winner Josef Newgarden fourth, 17 out and Power fifth, 24 points back.
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