Power Drives into Month of May 2019 with New Level of Happiness

Is it possible for a race driver to be content?

Drivers are among the most hyper-competitive people on Earth. They’re always looking for that extra tenth of a second on the stopwatch, that extra edge over their rivals. They would do whatever it took to beat their own family members in a shopping cart race.

But make no mistake about it: Will Power enters the Month of May 2019 with a level of contentment and happiness unlike any other year.

Power is a different person than a year ago, when he swept the month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with victories in the INDYCAR Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. It was his third career win in the NTT IndyCar Series road race at IMS and his first in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

“I actually feel like you will just be a more confident, happy person,” Power said, answering a question whether winning the “500” changes a person. “To me, no question, that’s how I’ve been because I achieved something that I set out to achieve a long time ago. It’s been a lot of frustration and disappointments along the way trying to achieve that.

“Yeah, a great feeling to turn up there without that massive pressure on your shoulders, haven’t won a ‘500.’”

Power, from Toowoomba, Australia, had built an impressive resume as a driver even before last May. He won the 2014 NTT IndyCar Series championship. He had 32 victories in Indy car racing. He never had finished worse than fifth in the NTT IndyCar Series standings since his first full season with Team Penske in 2010.

But something was missing. Power knew it, felt it. Team Penske drivers are expected to win championships and the Indianapolis 500, and 10 previous starts without a “500” didn’t just gnaw at Power – they threatened to consume him.

“It actually got worse,” Power said of the pressure mounting to win the Indy 500. “I would say 2018 was the worst. I kind of went through the Month of May disappointed in my career, very disappointed, because I had won so many races, but it doesn’t matter. Obviously, that does matter, but it just felt like to me that it was kind of a disappointment. (Winning) was definitely a massive weight off my shoulders.”

That was obvious to anyone who witnessed Power’s emotions after taking the checkered flag last May 27 on the 2.5-mile oval. He unleashed a big scream on his team radio, also yelling, “RESPECT ME!” And his wild-eyed, joyous celebration in Victory Circle with his wife, Liz, will be remembered for a long time.

Power earned one more victory in 2018 after his sweep of May at IMS, in late August at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. He ended up third in the series standings, 96 points behind champion Scott Dixon.

But his year was all but made after he drank milk in Victory Circle at Indy. Power, 38, has a certain level of happiness and contentment in 2019 that was missing a year ago. The Indy victory helped to create his new state of mind, but it wasn’t the only factor.

“I’m more energetic, more focused than I’ve been in number of years, fitness-wise, everything-wise,” Power said. “I’m not saying that’s from the ‘500.’ I’ve matured and am kind of very happy in my life and realized that life is super short, so you have to enjoy it and you have to go for it.”

Power has shown no reduction in speed as he approaches age 40 and is in his 10th full season with Team Penske. He won the pole at the first two events of this season, at St. Petersburg and Austin, but is winless in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

He finished third at St. Petersburg and appeared to be cruising to victory at Austin when a mechanical problem ended his race with 14 laps to go. Power is sixth in the NTT IndyCar Series standings, 73 points behind leader and teammate Josef Newgarden.

Few drivers need a strong performance during May at IMS more than Power. But history is on his side.

Power has won the INDYCAR Grand Prix a race-record three times in its five years of existence, taking the checkered flag from the pole in 2015, 2017 and last year. He also has finishes of eighth, second and first in his last five Indy 500 starts, so the driver known as one of the greatest road- and street-course competitors in Indy car history also is showing sublime skill on the biggest and most prestigious oval in the series.

But even with that track record and his new sense of happiness entering this Month of May, the restless quest for perfection and more victories still motivates Power. He’s a race driver, after all.

“I’m looking for a good, solid championship year,” Power said. “I don’t mean a top-three finish. We need to be a legitimate contender by the end. We need to win a championship, and a ‘500’ in the same year would be phenomenal. I’m not at a point where, yeah, a top-three is great. It’s at a point where you need to win another championship and you need to be a multiple ‘500’ winner.”