FONTANA, Calif. -- Entering the final race of the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season, Will Power had defeated every challenger on the race track but his biggest foe remained in his own mind.
It's the same foe that defeated him for the championship in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and it was one that frankly haunted him for the past 14 days leading into Saturday night's MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway.
Power's biggest opponent was the fear of the unknown and the constant question of if it would once again deny the driver from Toowoomba, Australia of the IndyCar Series championship.
"The last 14 days have been the worst in my life," Power admitted. "I couldn't sleep and stressing. I feel so bad for my wife. I didn't think it would happen until it happens. I can't believe I'm champion. I can't believe it. Oh, God.
"You think of a 500-miler. You think of the previous years as being six or eight cars finish. There were a lot of variables that could have gone the wrong way."
Power arrived at this race with a 51-point lead over Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves but even that wasn't safe after Friday's qualifications when Castroneves won the pole and Power qualified next to last in the 22-car field.
This year, unlike previous years, Power did not let the tension defeat him. Sure, he had sleepless nights and was so high-strung that he was driving his wife, Liz, crazy. But he was also determined to give team owner Roger Penske his 13th IndyCar championship, his first in the current Verizon IndyCar Series since 2006 and Power's first series championship as a big-time race driver.
He faced the fear of the unknown and won the championship with a ninth-place finish after Castroneves was penalized for a commitment line violation on his final pit stop and had to serve a drive-through penalty. That put Castroneves one lap down and he finished 14th.
Finally, Team Penske and Power could celebrate a championship in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
"Without a doubt, it's kind of been an odd few years, because it's not as if we weren't winning races or winning poles," said Team Penske president Tim Cindric. "We just couldn't for whatever reason be sitting here today as the champions. For quite a while we were the ones to beat in terms of championship and that went away for a while. And with Will, if there's a guy that deserves it, it's absolutely Will Power. When you look at the number of places he's won, number of pole positions he's won in the last four years, it's been phenomenal.
"As a team, I'm glad to say we finally can get him that one and hopefully it's the first of many."
Team owner Roger Penske never lost faith in Power as a driver and steadfastly remained his biggest supporter. Ironically, Penske is in charge of race strategy for the many Power beat for the championship -- Castroneves.
"No question that Will deserves this championship," Penske said. "As Tim said, he won a number of races, a lot of poles and really brought some momentum to the team. I think his working with Helio and obviously bringing Juan Pablo Montoya on this year made us that much stronger. He deserves it. He was obviously the best road racer, won that championship a number of times.
"To see him operate on the oval this year, the way he ran at Milwaukee showed me what he's got. I think for me from my standpoint Tim and the team have done a lot to grow this business as it has with the series so much better and the competition you see it tonight.
"I don't think there was one car dropped out. So the reliability and the racing is clean. And it's very, very competitive. So for me and from the team perspective, it was a big win and obviously for Will it's something that he's worked hard. I think he's got the monkey off his back now."
This year Power had three wins, four pole positions, seven podiums, eight top five finishes, 15 top 10 finishes and 11 races led. Throughout his career, Power has 36 career poles and 24 career wins and was either first or second in points all season -- finally taking over the points lead for good this season at Mid-Ohio.
Power's drive to a championship had to start from the back of the pack after a qualification effort on Friday put him 21st in the 22-car field. After Mikhail Aleshin suffered serious injuries in a crash in practice on Friday night, there were 21 cars that took the green flag at race time.
Power methodically drove from 20th to the lead by Lap 189.
"The race tonight was surprising, it was so green," Power said. "And starting in the back there, we just slowly picked people off and we would pit early and get more people on the out lap and get good air. There was a point in the race where I thought I'd really have to go for it. That's when I was about sixth or seventh; I think I passed Carlos Munoz. And I said okay it's time to really get myself well in the top 5.
"And also on that restart, I got to lead a lap and not go backwards. So that was the key to the race. No mistakes. Just keep on top of the car and very good strategy. Very good stops."
After so many heartbreaks for the championship Power grabbed the opportunity in 2014 and never let go.
"Honestly to win the championship it's 15 years of hard work for me," Power said. "It started back in 2000. And just to get the opportunity to drive for Penske and to finish runner up three times, it's such an emotional win for me. But I'm just so grateful to have this opportunity and like Roger said, I think the team this year has been phenomenal with Juan and Helio. And I think the great thing about driving for this team is whatever you want as a driver, whatever direction you want to push the development, you can.
"And that's what we've done. And I think Tim Cindric is a very good leader as far as the shop and the team goes and that's why we won the championship. It hasn't sunk in that I've actually finally won the championship."
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