Written by Archie O’Reilly
Team Penske’s Will Power delivered a statement performance at Portland International Raceway to elevate himself back into second place in the championship standings. With three races remaining, Power has closed the gap to Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou by 54 points.
Palou again limited damage and bolstered his bid for a third title in four years by finishing second, albeit almost 10 seconds adrift of Power. Josef Newgarden rounded out the podium but was over 23 seconds behind race-winning teammate Power at the chequered flag.
Here is how the podium-sitters reacted after the final road course of the season ahead of a stretch of oval races to the conclusion…
“I’m just simply not retiring”
News of 22-year-old David Malukas joining AJ Foyt Racing - in a technical alliance with Penske - for 2025 has got the cogs turning in the minds of many. Could it be a move prompted by Penske to line Malukas up to replace a retiring Power in years to come?
Power’s response to that was emphatic. And understandably so after the level he showed to out-class the field in Portland.
“I want to continue,” he said. “I’m not retiring. I’m not. I’m just simply not retiring.
“I know people probably like to spread that around, rumours or whatever, in the hope that they can take my seat. I’m staying here for a while. I’ll get better every year. I get better every year. I feel like that.”
Portland was the first track that Power ever drove in the United States. And the 2024 race weekend in the Pacific Northwest reminded him how much he loves IndyCar racing.
“It would be really tough for me to walk away from this sport. It really would,” he said. “The feeling of being a part of something, trying to accomplish something with a group of people… I think you’d be pretty lost. If I stopped, I’d be very lost with what to do. I love racing. I love the paddock. I love the people. Feel lucky to do it.”
Power is incredibly proud of the career he has led. And now 43 years old, he is embracing every part of the job.
“No way that I thought I would have driven for the best team in the US, won on ovals, won the Indy 500 - all those things, won a championship,” Power said. “I worked very hard always, was very determined. When you reflect on it when you came here all those years ago, it was a dream. What I’ve done, I’ve lived out my dream.
“You need to reflect sometimes and appreciate that when you get mad or disappointed about something that happens. You’re really lucky to be here. I enjoy doing appearances now. I enjoy media, all that stuff.
“I give the young guys a hard time if they complain about it. ‘Man, you could be working in an office, you could be working construction. You’re lucky you’re in this very small group of people that get to do this for a living, so enjoy it.’
A first three-win season since 2018
Power went winless in 2023 - a year where he was defending a second career IndyCar title - amid life-threatening health struggles for his wife Liz. But one year on from considerations about having to quit racing for the sake of his family, Power is a three-time winner in a single IndyCar season for the first time since 2018.
He returned to the winners’ circle at Road America in June before taking victory in the second Iowa Speedway race last month. And while a record-extending 71st pole continues to elude him, Power converted a fifth front-row start of the season into a third win and sixth podium of 2024 - all top-two finishes.
Power then took the lead from first-time pole-sitter Santino Ferrucci - a teammate of sorts given the relationship with the Foyt team - and never looked back.
“Santino and I talked about the start, he was not going to block or anything,” Power said. He braked earlier than expected because I braked earlier. I was going to let him lead. He’s a good teammate - very fair. I have to thank him for helping me out.
“From there it was a pretty straightforward race of playing the game with in and out laps against Palou. Kind of mentally drained. I don’t have that many words but it’s good stuff.”
The novelty of winning does not wear off, even for Power as he moves clear into fourth on the all-time IndyCar wins list.
“Anytime I win in this series, I feel so lucky,” he said. “It feels like it’s so impossible and hard to win. I was thinking through the race: ‘No way I’m going to win this. He’s going to get me.’ But you do your absolute best. When you get a win, it’s a very good feeling. It’s very, very satisfying. It takes so much, it really does.
“To get through all those rounds in qualifying, to qualify right at the front, that is so difficult in this series. Then to execute completely on a race day with so many good guys and teams around you, it really is a big deal just to get on a podium in IndyCar. I know all the guys on the car really deserve it - best pit crew in pit lane.
“That’s a hard situation to come upon - to be a good driver in a great team, having the opportunities to win. Bloody winning a race is a big deal.”
Power’s crew in pit lane consistently delivered quicker pit stops to ensure Palou could neither undercut nor overcut him at any point in the race. And Power toned back his own approach to align more with the consistent manner in which he won the 2022 title.
“If you look at Dixon, 99 percent of the time he will not go for a move that’s a 50/50 - he will weigh on the cautious side. That’s won him championships,” Power said. “Palou is further to the aggressive but he walks that tightrope really well of aggression versus reward.
“I’m always playing on one side or the other. [In] 2022 I was too conservative, 2023 I had a bad year. This year maybe I’m a little bit over-aggressive at times. But that’s the game you play. You’ve got to hit that sweet spot.”
Power came into the year thinking he “must win multiple races” and has achieved that. If it was not for the odd error or dose of misfortune like in the late Gateway restart accident, he could well be much closer to Palou in the standings.
Staying calm and bouncing back
Power was left irate after Gateway, when a podium and gain on Palou had been very much on the cards before his late crash.
He perceived David Malukas to be at fault for the collision that caused the caution from which he suffered a race-ending crash (through no fault of his own) on the restart. His fury was then also aimed at teammate Newgarden for his slow restart.
But the dust settles quickly with Power. On reflection, he acknowledged he caused the collision with Malukas and also quickly made up with Newgarden after the outburst aimed at the eventual race winner.
“I get mad very quickly but I get over it very quickly,” Power said. “I’ve grabbed Scott Dixon at Road America then got into the car and said: ‘Sorry man, it’s all good.’ Got into the medical car a few seconds later.
“I just am like that. When I’m mad, it looks worse. My bark is worse than my bite. I’m not that. I forgive very quickly and easily and move on. I know everyone in this series is trying to do the same thing. We’re all lucky to be here. Last week I saw a lot of points just... I would have to say the most fun I’ve had in years on an oval finished in a bad way.
“I enjoyed the race, I had so much fun, then it finished like that. Late restart - I think if we went earlier, it wouldn’t have happened. One day later I’m wakesurfing with Josef, laughing, talking to Malukas and joking.”
Power knows that his own errors - “uncharacteristic of the 2022 [title-winning] year” - have also been a factor in him not being closer to Palou. But he feels he is still calmer in the car, even if a wilder streak can emerge outside of the cockpit in the heat of the moment.
“Rarely do I get flustered or say something on the radio,” he said. “I’m less calm out of the car if something happens. You just change small things. Built this big toolbox of skills over the years, worked on the mental aspect a lot, which just comes with age.”
Power not giving up on third title
It is not lost on Power how much a third IndyCar championship victory would mean.
“[It would be] tremendous in many different ways,” he said. “You get a third championship from a deficit of 54 points at this point, that would be amazing. It would be absolutely amazing. To finish on all ovals, as well, going back to my early days, unfinished business there. It’s a tough climb from here but not impossible.”
Power has lost championships on ovals earlier in his career. To flip the narrative would be incredibly fulfilling for him, especially as he knows he is in a challenging position. It is a very different game to his front-footed position in 2022, which came from only a single victory all year
“It’s a must-win situation almost right now,” Power said. “Can take a little bit more risk. You probably have a little less pressure because you’re not the one defending this points lead. Believe me, it’s nice to have the points lead. It’s much better to be in [Palou’s] position by a longshot.
“I learned from [Palou’s] championship last year - the style of 2022 wouldn’t have worked that year. You had to win. That’s what this year is. This year was a year of a lot of mistakes from a lot of drivers. Last two races: Toronto if I didn’t try that move on Scott, if Malukas and I didn’t have that issue [at Gateway]. Everyone has let some big points go - Palou at Iowa.”
Palou has never won on an oval ahead of a three-oval run to end the season but success feels like a matter of time. Power knows he needs to keep beating Palou - like at Portland - to stand any chance of challenging him come the Nashville Superspeedway finale.
“I would say if he had finished ahead of us, it would almost be over,” Power said. “Just kept it alive. Ultimately, one DNF for him, one win for me, you’re right there - certainly within 20 points. That makes it very possible it could happen.
“It’s going to be the same every race from here out - got no choice but to be ahead of him or it’s over.”
How Palou stands after Portland
Palou sits a maximum-points race weekend ahead of Power in points - a margin that could swing quickly with an incident but also one that he has proven more than able to preserve by playing the percentage game. Colton Herta is a further 13 points back and Scott McLaughlin a likely insurmountable 88 behind the championship lead in fourth.
“I love it,” Palou said. “It’s not enough but it could be a lot worse. I’m looking forward. I think that allows us to go aggressive, to just think about the race and not having to think about points and trying to minimise damage or anything like that. It’s going to be tough - it seems like a lot but at the same time it’s almost nothing. It’s only one race.”
But regardless of the jeopardy of a crash like in the first Iowa race, for instance, Palou is not allowing much doubt to creep in.
“I’m not 100 percent comfortable,” he said. “I think we have a lot of work ahead of us to do. But it could be a lot worse. I could be with only one point of difference, then I would have to obviously beat him on those tracks or I could be sitting second or third.
“I like where we’re sitting. I like the opportunity we have in front of us. I felt really good at Milwaukee [in the test ahead of the upcoming doubleheader]. Maybe we can surprise Penske. Who knows? Maybe we show up and suddenly nobody can catch us.”
Palou continues to quietly go about his business in a methodical manner. The concept of NBC Sports’ ‘Hate Cauldron’ confused Palou but he need not worry given he is scarcely involved in controversy.
At least on track, he made sure to clarify.
“I’ve been in my own dramas in the past, maybe currently,” he said. “I don’t know how [Penske] do it, the debriefs and stuff [after teammate incidents]. I already have my own stuff. Imagine if I have to as well fight with my teammates. That would be a lot to keep up with.”
Portland was a “tough” race as Palou and his team “didn’t real pick the right tyres” with the fear of being “P-banana” on the alternates like in Detroit. But he again maximised what was on the table.
Could Penske work to prioritise Power?
With Newgarden out of championship contention and McLaughlin needing a lot of circumstances to go his way, could Penske end up putting all of their eggs in the Power basket?
“I think if we have the cars to win and we want to win the championship, yes,” Power said.
“That’s probably what we should do with three to go. We should probably be looking at how can we get the No.12 car in the best possible position. Really that’s our only chance. We got three really good drivers - four if you include Santino - that are capable of running at the front. That can take up a lot of positions.
“I’m the head of that group, we win the race - that starts to make things look possible. We’ll talk about that when we get to Milwaukee, see if that’s a possibility.”
The Milwaukee and Nashville factor
A doubleheader visit to the Milwaukee Mile and a finale at Nashville Superspeedway - two ovals that IndyCar has spent a period away from - now beckon to round out the season. Power is one of few drivers to have experience on both tracks as Palou still searches for a maiden oval win in his fifth season in the series.
“Quite unknown,” Power said. “You don’t even know… Can you pass at Milwaukee? Will qualifying be a big deal? How will this play out? I don’t even think we’ve run on the tyre we’re going to run. A very, very interesting three races that you really don’t know where everyone’s going to stack up.”
Having been away from Milwaukee since 2015, teams are largely having to rely on a test outing at the track. And it was Penske who emerged looking the strongest, albeit Ganassi tested separately due to a Le Mans 24 Hours clash with the planned full-field date.
The fact that Power has experience at the upcoming pair of tracks, while the driver he is chasing in the championship does not, is not insignificant.
“It means a lot,” Newgarden said of Power’s experience being key in the title fight. “[Alex] should be nervous about that.”
A more joking tone then started to emerge, with Palou sitting beside Newgarden.
“It’s tough for a guy like him… Are you following this? Are you listening?” Newgarden quipped, to which Palou responded: “No.”
The lighthearted exchange continued as Newgarden said Palou “should be very concerned” about the races to come. A grinning Palou somewhat sarcastically agreed with Newgarden.
“It’s not good for you history-wise,” Newgarden continued. “Alarming. Alarm bells are going off - let me tell you that. It’s so bleak, you might as well not go.
“No, look, this guy is excellent. I don't have a crystal ball. I think Alex is pretty damn good at what he does. Look, [he has] never raced at Milwaukee; he hasn’t raced a lot of places and proves pretty well.
“Speaking logically, ovals have been our strong suit for the last multiple seasons. Alex is a great competitor… so difficult to understand how this stuff goes.
“I think he’s one of the most formidable opponents that you can find in racing across the world. I wouldn’t feel confident or overconfident with anything that we’re doing. I think we have a tough fight ahead.”
Palou will have to be cautious of swings that may occur but also just has to continue to approach races in the same manner to get over the line, balancing risk with aggression in the way that has impressed Power so much. He conceded he would rather the closing races be “at Indy road course, Laguna [Seca] and Road America” but “actually loved Milwaukee” in the test.
“Never been to Nashville, never seen it,” he added. “Only on iRacing.”
Newgarden is “excited” about the series returning to Milwaukee and Nashville - the former of which he has raced on before.
“I have high hopes we can find a good package,” he said. “I think Gateway was really pretty phenomenal as far as the combination. It's not easy. It’s not an exact science. I think if we could bottle a good racing package where there’s usability on multiple lanes, we would take it everywhere.
“Sometimes it’s a little bit of guesswork, trial and error. You have to go places a time or two to figure it out in this new package. We’re trying to figure it out with the extra weight, hybrid, aero, tyre configuration. I have high hopes we can have a good race package.”
The racing product at Portland
The shortest road course on the calendar, Portland offered extremely tight margins between drivers through practice and qualifying. Second practice saw the top 14 - half of the field - within two-tenths of a second and half-a-tenth was the difference in between transferring to the Fast Six and qualifying 10th.
But the race saw a much greater field spread emerge, hence Palou finishing almost 10 seconds behind Power and third-place finisher Newgarden being over 20 seconds behind his race-winning teammate.
“It was super close in qualifying,” Palou said. “Actually if you look at the beginning of the race, it was super close. It was tough to make differences.
“As it was a flat-out race, I think we could see the differences between cars and between drivers, as well as tyre deg and stuff. I think everybody expected to see, within the teams, this kind of race, where you start to see differences between Lap 15 to 30. That’s where you really start pulling away or start losing lap time.”
For Newgarden, the caution-free affair at Portland was a lot more relaxed than the frenetic event at Gateway.
“Gateway was probably a little more intense in a good way,” he said. “Today was a little bit more calm. It wasn’t enough to mix it up. We didn’t have a yellow get thrown in there to mix things up. I think the top guys were pretty strong in their own right so they stayed stationary once we settled in after that first stint.
“You can’t have the greatest show every weekend.”
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