Will Power wins rain-shortened IndyCar race at Pocono Raceway.
LONG POND, Pa. — Will Power won the shortened ABC Supply 500 on Sunday at Pocono Raceway, the 13th consecutive season he’s won an IndyCar race. The race was called with 72 laps left because of lightning and severe weather in the area.
Lightning strikes at Pocono after a rain-shortened NASCAR race killed one fan in 2012.
Power was in the right position to a win a race marred by yet another horrific wreck that collected five drivers on the first lap and sent Chip Ganassi Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist to the hospital.
The green flag had barely been dropped when 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato used an aggressive move, which triggered a wreck that sent Rosenqvist to the hospital.
Sato tried to shoot a gap on the first lap, cut off Alexander Rossi and connected with Ryan Hunter-Reay in a crash that left cars and debris strewn across the track. Sato’s car landed upside down on Hunter-Reay’s Honda.
Rosenqvist hit the fence nose first and his car slammed back on the track. Rosenqvist did not suffer life-threatening injuries and was cleared.
James Hinchcliffe was also caught up in the crash, and he and Rossi served 10-lap penalties because of car repairs made under the red flag. The race was stopped for 45 minutes and two minor mesh patches were needed to repair the fence.
Black clouds formed over the track just past the halfway point and the race was shortly red flagged because of lightning. Not long after Power had his win, it started pouring at the track and he was ushered to the media center for a makeshift podium celebration. Scott Dixon was second and Simon Pagenaud was third. Santino Ferrucci was fourth. Josef Newgarden, IndyCar points leader and the 2017 series champion, finished fifth.