Will Power, Penske, Chevy Dominate Indy
Let the post-Indy hangover begin. For some people, that means a literal hangover. For myself it means that feeling of knowing we’re a full 365 sleeps from being able to witness The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, again. It’s an awful feeling. It’s like December 26th. Just in May. But here we are. And honestly I can’t think of a more deserving man to drink the milk.
Will Power finally earned himself the title “Indy 500 Champion”, on Sunday. In what I’d say wasn’t the most entertaining 500 we’ve ever seen, Power and Team Penske managed to strategize just right, to put them in the lead when it counted most. The Chevy powered cars were tough to beat all day. Power, Ed Carpenter, Simon Paganaud, and Helio Castroneaves lingered upfront most of the race. Cycling back during pit stops, as per usual, but always finding themselves near the front when everything was said and done. The real battle was really between Power and Carpenter. As the two Chevy’s would get out front and walk away from the rest of the field. There was more separation between cars today than I’ve seen in probably the last 6 years. Who ever was in front after a couple laps, was almost impossible to pass. It seems IndyCar and its competition committee will have some work to do to figure out why this UAK-18 is so difficult to get past, on super speedways. That’s a story for another day.
Power was a man on a mission all month long. Numerous people saying that Will had a “calm” about him. In his post-race interview with Racer.com he said that he “almost just knew” he was going to win it this year. And win it he did. I will admit that I’m not the biggest Will Power fan. Not because of anything he’s done or said, but more so just because he wins SO MUCH, that i feel it makes race weekends boring and predictable. If I wanted boring and predictable I’d watch Monaco Grand Prix races on YouTube (too soon?). “This is IndyCar. This is America. We don’t know who’s going to win every weekend. That’s why we run the damn races!” That’s what I tell myself before explaining to other people why IndyCar is superior to whatever their choice in motorsport is. And Will Power has a tendency to buck that trend. He’s the winningest driver in the last few years. Who likes to be wrong? But I was ok with him winning the 500. Especially in the way that he won it.
Team Penske had been in the top 3–5 all month during practice. They’ve shown great speed and consistency. Especially in traffic, which was massively important in a race that drivers predicted would be tough to pass in. Drivers always think it’s going to be tough to pass, and more often than not, they’re wrong. On Sunday, they were dead on. So Penske and Power taking the lead, holding it and securing the win was no surprise. But what was a surprise was the brute force Power, Penske and Chevy demonstrated over the rest of the field. Power’s Verizon car was a Scud missile around the hallowed grounds. Ed Carpenter, also powered by the Bow Tie, still couldn’t find the juice needed to reach the Penske car.
Power has now won a championship and an Indy 500. At age 37 you can’t help but wonder “how much longer?”. So what more does he have to prove? To that I’d say: it’s about legacy. He might have 5–7 years left, and maybe 2–4 years at a “high level” before Father Time begins to take its toll on his reflexes and instincts. Although Will Power winning can get tiresome you have to stop and appreciate the greatness that we’re all privileged to watch. No man is more deserving of the 102nd Indy 500 win, than the man with the name that describes the recipe for success: Will Power.
