Power gives Penske, Chevrolet win in final Belle Isle race
Will Power closed the Belle Isle era with a Team Penske victory Sunday, taking the final Detroit Grand Prix on the island park to reclaim the IndyCar points lead.
Power held off Alexander Rossi in the closing laps — extending Rossi’s losing streak to nearly three years — for his first win of the season. All three Team Penske drivers have a win through seven IndyCar races this season.
The win for the Australian was redemption from a year ago when Power controlled the first race of the Belle Isle doubleheader. A late caution brought out a red flag and Power’s car couldn’t start for the finish.
This year’s Belle Isle finale was only one IndyCar race as the event will return to its original downtown street course layout in 2023.
The victory was a celebration for Chevrolet, the race sponsor, and its headquarters loom over the Belle Isle course. It gave Chevrolet its 100th victory since it returned to IndyCar competition in 2012.
And it was, of course, a celebration for team owner Roger Penske, a longtime Detroit resident and promoter of the race. For Power, the 41st win of his career moved him within one of Michael Andretti for fourth place.
“It was a very, very good performance mentally for me,” Power said. “I always judge my performances and I really left nothing on the table and I got right in that sweet spot in the zone. That’s how I was able to pump out quick laps.”
Rossi, who this week confirmed he’s moving to Arrow McLaren SP next season, used a three-stop strategy to rally from his 11th-place starting position and drive through the field to contend for the win. But Power, who started 16th, had already taken control of the race and Rossi could only try to close the gap.
Although Rossi made it close as both drivers were dealing with traffic, Power beat him to the finish by 1.0027-seconds. Power won for the third time in Detroit.
“I think one more lap would have been really interesting,” said Rossi. “We’re finally just executing at our potential.”
Scott Dixon was third for Chip Ganassi Racing and followed by pole-sitter Josef Newgarden of Penske.
Pato O’Ward of McLaren was fifth, reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou of Ganassi was sixth and followed by teammate Marcus Ericsson, the Indianapolis 500 winner last week.
Allmendinger gets another roadcourse win in Xfinity Portland debut
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A.J. Allmendinger said it was probably the craziest race he’s ever won.
The road-course ace survived the chaos of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ wet and wild Portland International Raceway debut with a victory Saturday.
Allmendinger led just six overall laps in his Xfinity-record eighth roadcourse victory and 12th overall series win. He crossed the finish line in the Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 2.879 seconds in front of Myatt Snider.
“Once we got back up front there, I said in my mind that with everything I had done to cause us to lose this race, I was going to do everything I could to win it,” said Allmendinger, who started from the back after engine issues the day before, then went off the slippery course numerous times.
The 75-lap race on the 12-turn, 1.97-mile permanent road course north of downtown started in heavy rain, resulting in slippery conditions. It was first NASCAR event in the region in 22 years, and a rare stand-alone event for the second-tier national series.
There were nine caution flags and eight lead changes in the race that looked at times like a demotion derby with several spinouts, bumps and wrecks.
Coming out of the ninth caution with four laps to go, Snider led but Allmendinger was close behind and quickly moved ahead on the inside, making light contact with Snider. Austin Hill finished third.