Will Power won his second race of the year Sunday to lead Team Chevy at the NTT IndyCar Series’ Grand Prix of Portland. It was the second win in three races for the 2014 IndyCar Champion.
Power, in Team Penske’s No 12 Verizon Chevrolet, led 52 of 105 laps on the way to his 37th career open-wheel victory. He started the race second and led the final 12 laps – five of those under caution.
“It was a pretty tough race,” Power said. “(Runner-up Felix) Rosenqvist caused some pressure. At the end we could slowly pull away and I felt like, ‘Oh yeah, this is going to be good’; and then we got that yellow flag and I’m like oh come on! But I was determined to get a good restart and just so stoked to get into Victory Lane. It helps the teams and the other guys take some points away. Awesome. I’m exhausted. I’m mentally exhausted.”
The other big winner Sunday was Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden, who enters the final race of the season – a double-points event – holding a 41-point lead in the IndyCar Championship standings. Newgarden, in the No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet, rallied from 13th at the start to finish fifth. He avoided damage during an opening-lap melee that took out five cars.
Next up is the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with four drivers – including teammate Simon Pagenaud – still in title contention.
“It would be nice if it wasn’t double points, but it is and we knew that from the start of the season,” Newgarden said. “We will have to make the most of it. I don’t think it will be easy. We have to finish in the top six or seven even if our competitor wins. That is what we are going to do, be on it all weekend.”
Chevrolet drivers captured five of the top eight positions in Sunday’s race. Spencer Pigot in the No. 21 Autogeek Chevrolet placed sixth followed by Pagenaud in the No. 22 Menards Chevrolet, who began 18th.
Matheus Leist was eighth in the No. 4 ABC Supply Chevrolet with Charlie Kimball rounding out the top-10 in the No. 23 Autogeek Chevrolet.
The NTT IndyCar Series concludes its season Sunday, Sept. 22 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The race will air live at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Inside Track Communications PR
