Power captures third Honda Indy Toronto victory
TORONTO Will Power has won his third Honda Indy Toronto.
The Australian, who previously won the event in 2007 and 2010, captured the 85-lap race on the streets surrounding Toronto’s Exhibition Place by 1.5275 seconds.
Brazil’s Helio Castroneves was second ahead of James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ont., in third.
It’s Power’s third win of the season after capturing the second leg of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit and the KOHLER Grand Prix on June 26. Power was the runner-up last weekend at the Iowa Corn 300.
Power started the race in fourth after qualifying. The 2014 IndyCar Series champion entered the weekend third in the points standings.
It’s Hinchcliffe’s best finish on his home track after placing eighth twice in the first leg of the 2013 and 2014 races.
Scott Dixon, the pole sitter and two-time champion of the race, jumped out to a good start and maintained an almost two-second difference between himself and standings leader Simon Pagenaud after 54 laps. The New Zealand native slipped off, however, on the last 20 laps.
Defending champion Josef Newgarden crashed into the curb on Turn 5 during lap 59 — the same curb that caused a caution on lap 45 — and smashed his front right tire. The 25-year-old winced in pain following contact with the wall and did not finish the race. He was sporting a wrap on his right hand earlier this week as a result of a broken hand and right clavicle caused in a crash at Texas last month.
The track changes to this year’s edition of the race were a common discussion point in the lead up to the race. Due to construction of a hotel on the Exhibition Place grounds, the pits were moved, which created tighter space on Turn 11. IndyCar officials announced Saturday morning that the wall in Turn 8 had been changed to the configuration used in previous years, which provided an additional six feet on the inside of the track.
Charlie Kimball and 2012 race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay collided on the first lap at Turn 8, causing a full course caution. Hunter-Reay was briefly delayed before getting back into the action. The green flag returned on lap five.
A caution returned on lap six due to debris on the back stretch after Newgarden was clipped by veteran Juan Pablo Montoya. The incident prompted a review but no action was taken.
Mikhail Aleshin, Hinchcliffe’s teammate, was the biggest mover in the early going, going from his starting position in 10th to sixth. He finished sixth.
Castroneves blew up his front left tire while turning off of Lakeshore Boulevard, causing him to bump down from second to 13th.
Aleshin was given a warning for improper lane usage while exiting the pits in the 28th lap.
Pagenaud exited the pits early on lap 29. A similar incident occurred during the third race of the season in Long Beach in which Pagenaud came away with the victory.
A caution was issued on the 81st lap when Juan Pablo Montoya and Jack Hawksworth crashed into the wall.
The drivers have a week off before the Honda Indy 200 at MidOhio on July 31.