Will Power tallied a competitive runner up in Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
DETROIT – While it has been a feast or famine start for Will Power’s 2023 NTT INDYCAR Series season, Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix was a turn in the right direction.
Entering Sunday’s 100-lap race at the 1.7-mile, 10-turn street course in “The Motor City,” Power had a podium at Birmingham and three top 10 results interlaced with three finishes of 12th or worse. Ranked ninth in the championship standings, the 41-year-old Toowoomba, Queensland, New Zealand native needed a bit of a pick me up in Round 7 of the season.
The two-time and reigning series champion qualified in seventh, a respectable position with INDYCAR’s first race in Detroit’s street course since 1991. Moreover, Power tallied his best qualifying effort to date in 2023, an encouraging sign for the cagey veteran racer.
Once the race was underway on Sunday afternoon, Power kept himself in contention throughout the race by turning to his wealth of experience and guile. As contenders fell by the wayside, the driver of the No. 12 Verizon Dallara Chevrolet rocketed to the lead on Lap 29 for the first of two stints in the number one spot.
Returning to the lead on Lap 56, Power was about the only driver who could muster any kind of challenge against Alex Palou. As both drivers waged in a clean but competitive tussle in the closing moments, Power tried his best to work his way around the 2021 champion.
On this occasion, Palou prevailed in the waning moments while Power settled for a runner-up result, his best finish thus far of 2023.
Naturally, the New Zealander was thinking about the big picture despite earning his second and much needed podium finish.
Power enjoyed the challenging Detroit Street Circuit especially once the weekend progressed. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
“It was a great day,” Power said. “Had a good strategy there with the red tires and tried everything to get (Palou). Unfortunately, I didn’t know (Scott) Dixon was on my inside. I didn’t see the replay. I hope I didn’t do any damage to him and affect his race.
“Great day for the Verizon Chevy. Would love to get one step up on the podium. Seconds aren’t what you look back on when you lose a championship. You had to be aggressive to keep position and get position. This is IndyCar these days. So tough, so many good drivers. You fight for every inch.”
Certainly, drivers grappled for any inch of real estate on the Detroit Street Course. Portion of the track were a bit bumpy and more like a Monday morning drive in rush hour for the field.
Regardless, Power enjoyed the challenging street course and was elated with the on track product.
“Yeah, like second session you started to like it, like the challenge of it,” he said. “Yeah, racing perspective, having that long straight with the hairpin is definitely good. I think next year if they resurface the second half of the straight you would have more passing. It was tough to go on the outside.”
No matter the difficulties with going on the outside of the corners, Power was determined to catch and pass Palou for his first win of the season. Still, he wanted to nab the victory in clean fashion against his Chip Ganassi Racing rival.
A determined Power earned his second podium of the 2023 season in Detroit. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
“For me, it was just trying my absolute best to get Palou in a clean way,” he said. “I wasn’t going to do any sort of dive bomb.
“Yeah, as it gets down to it, depending on who’s in the game, obviously Palou had the most to lose because he’s leading by a chunk, but there’s a few guys in there that don’t have as much to lose. I was one of ’em. I’m thinking in my head I’ve got to try to get this guy, if I can, to limit the damage.
Although Power is 101 markers behind Palou, the series points leader, he moves up to eighth in the championship standings. Although the Sonsio Grand Prix of Road America weekend does not commence until the weekend of June 16-18, the 39-time INDYCAR race winner was beaming about the action packed race in Detroit.
“I said it coming up the elevator, ‘It’s a pretty good race from the outside,'” Power said. “Some pretty big moves in there from people. I can’t imagine what it was like back in the pack. Looked like it was a great race.”
