Penske’s Power dominates race, eyes Indy sweep
INDIANAPOLIS — Will Power came to Indianapolis chasing more than a double. He wants a clean sweep.
After Saturday, the defending Verizon IndyCar Series champion is halfway home.
Power led 65 of 82 laps in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, holding off Graham Rahal for his first win of the season and first at the famed Brickyard.
The Australian finished 1.5023 seconds ahead of Rahal and more than 7 seconds in front of Team Penske teammate Juan Pablo Montoya and can now focus on winning the Indianapolis 500 pole next weekend and the May 24 race.
“It’s absolutely possible (to win all four — two poles and two races),” the Australian said after becoming IndyCar’s fifth winner in five races this season. “You have to think that, because it is. It’s possible. I’m going to try to do everything to make that happen.”
There’s not much time to celebrate.
Teams and track workers will scramble to make the transition from road-course racing to oval racing in roughly 42 hours. Practice for the 500 begins Monday.
If anybody is capable of taking all four this month, it could be Power, who finished second, seventh, 20th and fourth in this season’s first three races. He’s already won two poles this season and is now second in the points behind Montoya.
“It was exactly the race we asked for,” Power said. “No yellows. Very straightforward. Knew we would be in good shape. Had a very good car, good stops.”
Rahal took advantage of a five-car crash in the first turn of the 82-lap race to jump from 17th to sixth, steadily moved through the field into second and continually pressured Power.