'Don't have to take my word for it': Australian champion Will Power passes Michael Andretti on all-time list with 'badass' win
Evergreen Australian champion Will Power moved further up the IndyCar Series pantheon with a breakthrough win at Iowa Speedway on Monday (AEST).
Power held off series leader Alex Palou by 0.3915 seconds in a race that ended dramatically with a four car, last lap crash.
The 43-year-old from Toowoomba had already raised the chequered flag by the time Sting Ray Robb went flying into the air as Power registered his 43rd career IndyCar race win and his first on an oval since Pocono in 2019.
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The win moved Power ahead of Michael Andretti (42) into fourth on the all time list and behind only AJ Foyt (67), Scott Dixon (58) and Mario Andretti (52).
"I've been trying to win this race for years. Over the moon. The guys did a great job," Power said on Stan Sport's coverage.
"I felt really bad yesterday (in the first Iowa race) when I accidentally buttoned off on the pit speed limiter and ruined our day. We're right in the game. Stoked to tick that box. I've won a lot of races at a lot of tracks. When you tick a box at a track you haven't won on, it feels pretty good."
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Will Power celebrates with his crew after winning at Iowa Speedway. AP
Spain's Palou left the Iowa double header still in the lead in the series standings with 379 points.
Power is second with 344, and Pato O'Ward is third with 327.
Power, who led 50 laps of the 250 lap race, has always been fast at the oval - he has won seven career Iowa poles - but had only five podium finishes in 18 starts.
Will Power gets sprayed with champagne by Scott McLaughlin. AP
He finished 18th in Sunday's (AEST) opening race after starting fourth.
But this was a weekend when Penske drivers reached milestones at a track where the team has had so much success.
New Zealand's Scott McLaughlin picked up his first career oval win on Sunday (AEST) and then Power got his victory on a track that underwent partial repaving in the spring and limited the amount of passing room.
"It's funny, because I've been trying to win this for so long," Power said.
"I think I finished second a few times before the repave, trying really hard to win. I didn't really think I'd win today. You know how life goes, it just happens like that."
Power, who started 22nd on Monday (AEST), was able to move to second place on the first round of pit stops, then took the lead on lap 209 after his second pit stop three laps earlier that was almost nine tenths of a second faster than Palou's.
Will Power on the road to victory. Stan
"My plan from the beginning was to sit back and save a lot of fuel, just get the best possible number (of laps) using the speed, lifting," Power said.
"I felt like we had a better car than Alex. Amazing stops as usual by my guys. They're the best in pit lane. Don't have to take my word for it.
"Just look at the times every time. I'm lucky with that."
Palou, who led for 103 laps, said the lack of passing made the race "boring."
"It's the most boring thing I've ever done," he said.
"It was yesterday, as well. Yeah, it's a shame that we couldn't really put a better show. I think everybody will agree that it was a very boring race to drive."
