Power still enjoying 2018 Indy 500 win high
IT’S been more than six months since Will Power of Australia won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 but he still draws much attention in his country.
Power, winning this year’s Indy 500 has him running for the Australian Institute of Sport’s “Best Sporting Moment” of 2018 in its annual Sport Performance Awards competition. Voting continues until today (Sunday) to determine which of the 12 nominated sporting moments will be honored.
Power recently completed a “victory lap” of his homeland that honored him as the first Australian to capture motor sports’ greatest race. He made stops in Sydney, the nation’s capital of Canberra, Brisbane and his hometown of Toowoomba, meeting with political officials and a multitude of media in addition to spending quality time with family. The Team Penske driver felt honored to be honored and welcomed back by so many of his fellow Australians.
“I’m just a kid from Toowoomba and took it me a long time to achieve my dream of racing in a top-level series, to become a champion and win the Indianapolis 500,” Power said. “It’s a childhood dream – ever since I could remember, I’ve wanted to be in motor sports. Through dedication and persistence, I’m living my childhood dream. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Among the many dignitaries Power met in his Australia trip were Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Member of Parliament and Speaker of the House; Senator Bridget McKenzie, the nation’s Minister for Sport, and Senator Don Farrell, the Shadow Minister for Sport; Annastacia Palaszczuk, the Premier of Queensland; and Michael de Brenni, Queensland Minister of Sport.
It made for a busy but worthwhile visit, one that spurred renewed interest in a possible return of Indy car racing to the land Down Under. Power was happy to serve as an emissary for the sport during his annual visit home.
“I only get back to Australia about once a year for, maybe, three weeks,” he said during a visit to Parliament House in Canberra. “Obviously, this time I’ve come back to Australia as an Indy 500 champion. I’ve been doing lots of media.
“Here at the Parliament House, it’s the first time I’ve ever been here. I got to meet the Prime Minister. I got to meet the Minister for Sport, the Shadow Minister for Sport and a lot other people. It was a really great experience.”