Power: ‘I Want to Get a Bloody Win’

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Will Power just wants to win, man.

Back to championship form after an off year in 2023, everything is back where it needs to be off-track for the two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion and he is clicking on all cylinders on-track, setting his sights on challenging for another championship.

Through the first three races of the season, Power has yet to finish worse than sixth, with two second-place finishes to boot, leaving him just one point from the top of the points standings.

The one thing missing from his resume thus far into the 2024 campaign is a win.

Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park could have been the day that he accomplished that goal, but he elected to be a team player instead and settled for watching his Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin streak away with the lead and eventually the win.

The critical moment came when the two were mired back in traffic due to their strategy play and whichever of them was able to get through and back to the front first was going to be the driver to beat.

Instead of pressing the issue with McLaughlin and potentially ending the day for both of them with an errant move, on a week in which Team Penske did not need any more bad press, Power made the call to let McLaughlin go, which wound up putting him in position to win the race.

“I think I wasn’t aggressive enough,” Power said. “I should have worked harder to keep Scott behind. I didn’t block him. With everything that’s happened this week, I just didn’t want to bloody have two Penske cars off in turn one. I just kind of let it go.

“Yeah, I was happy for the team to get that, though. I was. I’ve been around long enough where you actually are happy for the team. You’re not so selfish.”

Even with him finishing the day with another runner-up finish, Power is aware of just how good the No. 12 team is this season and remains confident that if they keep the upward trajectory they are currently on, a win is coming.

“I know I’m going to be quick everywhere,” Power said. “Just like ’22, I feel like we got very good cars, good engines. I’m in very good form. So yeah, we’re there knocking on the door each week.

“Just got to win a couple. That’s the thing. I just want to win a couple bloody races, you know?”

Even though he knows a win is out there for his team, Power explained that the winless streak he is on that dates back to June 2022 is starting to get to him a bit.

But with the Month of May up next, the roll he and his team are on can only help propel them forward as they head to the house of Penske for the doubleheader of the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, followed by the 108^th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Power is no slouch in either event, capturing five wins on the road course, as well as the 2018 Indy 500.

“It kind of feels like business as normal. But the one thing that I’m missing is a win. That’s really starting to add weight to me. I want to get a bloody win,” Power said.

“I was a little disappointed not to win when I have the chance like that. On the other hand, you look at the championship points, and it’s a smart day, another smart day.

“We’re in a good spot going into the month of May. It would be nice to sweep it. That would be big.”