Will Power took a hard won victory Sunday at Pocono Raceway after battling through adversity throughout the race. The win means that Power is now in contention for the Verizon IndyCar championship. Power came from a lap down to fight off his teammate, Josef Newgarden, along with Alexander Rossi in order to take the Checkered Flag.
Will Power overcame adversity to battle with his teammate for the win
Will Power faced trouble early in the race when his crew replaced his front nosecone. The change in nosecones meant that Power went a lap down early.
That, however, wasn’t the only mechanical problem Power had. The rear wing assembly also had to be replaced during the race and putting Power further behind. Power though never seemed to give in or give up. With the help of his Team Penske crew, Power battled to get his lap back feeling confident that once he did he would be able to fight for a win.
Will Power defeated his teammate, Josef Newgarden, in a dramatic shootout that began during the last ten laps. Behind Newgarden, Alexander Rossi was also charging hard in an effort to get around both Newgarden and Power. At the end of the day, neither Newgarden nor Rossi had the car to do it and they crossed the finish line in second and third place respectively.
Behind them, in fourth and was Simon Pagenaud. Pagenaud is the defending series champion and hoping to bring another championship home again to Penske. Rounding out the top five was Tony Kanaan, former Indy 500 winner.
The fight for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar championship begins to take shape
Will Power is now in serious contention for the Verizon IndyCar Championship.
He is now only 42 points behind Josef Newgarden, who is currently leading the standings. Scott Dixon is now in second place, down only 18 points, with Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud following closely on their heels. The win at Pocono gives Power much-needed points that move him closer to the top of the point standings and puts him within reach of the championship.
At this point in the season, the championship is still up for grabs.
The ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway put IndyCar on display in great fashion. The racing was fast and furious and the final shootout over the last ten laps would have had even the most hardened fan on the edge of their seats. Will Power’s determination to overcome the adversity that he experienced was nothing short of inspiring and gave fans something to cheer for throughout the whole race. Now, as the season progresses, it is anyone’s guess who will win the championship and fans are kept riveted on the edge of their seats.
