Power pursuing perfect May

INDIANAPOLIS Perfection is rare in the Verizon IndyCar Series. A perfect weekend, a perfect qualifying session, even turning a single perfect lap can prove to be elusive. Between the intense competition in the series and the minuscule margin for error in an Indy car, perfection often seems more like a mirage than anything actually attainable.

That’s what makes what Will Power is doing so unique. Halfway through May, Power is pitching a perfect month.

Not only did the Team Penske driver triumph in Saturday’s IndyCar Grand Prix on the Indi- anapolis Motor Speedway road course, but he also did so after winning the pole, setting a track qualifying record and producing Friday’s fastest practice sessions.

“It’s funny how that happens,” Power said of his impeccable weekend. “You don’t even think about it. You don’t even remember that you were quickest in every session. Just happens to be. I think I remember thinking after warm-up (Saturday), ‘Wow, I’ve actually been quickest in every session. Yeah, it would be amazing to win the race.’ ”

And then he did. After that, he began to wonder: What if I could keep this going? What if I could do the unthinkable and finish off a perfect May? Sit on the pole and cap the month with the first Indianapolis 500 victory of my career? “To go on and be quickest in every session during the month, now that would be something,” he said. “That’s impossible. You’d have to have something special there. But to be quickest in qualifying and win the 500 would be something. That would be great. We’re definitely focusing on that.”

Practice for the Indianapolis 500, scheduled for May 28, begins Monday. Qualifying will be held Saturday and Sunday.

In 2015, after Power won the Grand Prix pole and the race, he said it was possible he could pull off the May sweep. It was possible, because he nearly did. In the Indianapolis 500, he came up 0.41 mph short of Scott Dixon for the pole and 0.105 seconds behind Juan Pablo Montoya for the win.