Power Rolls with Changes, Aiming for Strong Start of Season Heading into Indy
March 05, 2020 | By Paul Kelly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Note: This continues a series of feature stories focused on competitors in the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and GMR Grand Prix this May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stories will appear at IMS.com on Tuesdays and Thursdays through May.
Will Power knows what it’s like to win the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
He knows of the mix of catharsis and elation when climbing from the cockpit in Victory Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after taking the checkered flag in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” After all, who can forget his wild-eyed look of disbelief and joy and his huge embrace of his wife, Liz, after earning his first “500” victory in his 11th start, in 2018?
So, Power could relate when Simon Pagenaud broke through last May with his first “500” victory. Power was happy for his friend and Team Penske teammate – to a point.
“You understand how it feels,” Power said. “It’s a great achievement in this series. I think you feel more complete as far as your career now that he’s won it.
“But you’re never that happy to see someone else win it. Seriously. There’s only one person who’s happy at the end of that month, and that’s the winner. It’s a competitive sport. Everyone wants to win. If you’re happy with someone else winning, you’ve got a bit of a problem.”
2014 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Power hopes he’s the guy sending 32 other drivers home unhappy this May. He stands an excellent chance to add a second “Baby Borg” trophy to his collection, driving for the all-conquering Team Penske, which has won the Indy 500 a record 18 times.
Power would love to be the guy to deliver a third consecutive victory in the “500” for Penske, a feat the team has accomplished only once before, with Helio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002 and Gil de Ferran in 2003.
That quest will come in a 2020 season of change for Power. Team owner Roger Penske no longer will call strategy for Power’s races, as he is stepping down from the timing stand since his purchase of IMS, INDYCAR and IMS Productions in January.
Team Penske veteran Ron Ruzewski will call races this year for Power, who also has won the GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Power is comfortable with Ruzewski calling the shots, even if the way he discovered the change during the offseason was the same bombshell as for everyone else in the motorsports world.
Australian Power was on a charity ride early last November when he received a text from his engineer, Dave Faustino, saying Penske wouldn’t call his strategy in 2020. No details were given, so Power just figured it was a shuffling of the team’s lineup on the pit box.
Then Liz Power texted her husband to convey that news, too.
“My wife then said, ‘Did you hear about Roger?’ I said: ‘Yeah, I heard about Roger. He’s not going to be on my car anymore.’ My wife said, ‘And?’ I said, ‘And what?’ I found out he bought the whole series, the Speedway and the whole world. I was like, ‘Whaaaat?’ It was really cool to learn that. Very exciting. I was excited all that day.
“I don’t think there’s anyone more fitting to buy the series and the Speedway. He’s so excited about it. He’s going to do things to make it better for the fan experience. He knows the business so well. It’s good for everyone involved.”
A fast start to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will help Power, 39, entering his 11th full-time year with Team Penske. He had just two podium finishes in the first half of the 2019 season, third at St. Petersburg and the second Detroit race.
He finished seventh in the GMR Grand Prix and fifth in the Indianapolis 500. That’s a good Month of May for most drivers, but not for Power, who swept both races in 2018 and is perhaps his harshest critic.
The slow start is part of a recent trend Power is committed to erase this year. His confidence is high because he finished last season with two victories in the final four races in his No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, at Pocono and Portland. He also finished second to Colton Herta in the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“Mentally, I learned a lot last year,” Power said. “I made a couple of mistakes while in contention. I also ended the season very strong, so that puts me in a good place.
“It’s nuts. I can’t tell you how many seasons it’s been bad starts. I used to have awesome starts. I want to have a good start this year. You say that, but sometimes it doesn’t flow your way. There’s always a reason. But the biggest thing to learn is you can’t be thinking of points.”
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