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Will Power races to nail-biting IndyCar Portland win for Team Penske

As Power won the race, another driver was crowned the 2025 IndyCar champion

Will Power, Team Penske

Will Power, Team Penske

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

With his current contract expiring and rumors of an exit from Team Penske’s No. 12 Chevrolet at year’s end, veteran Will Power provided a reminder of his talent Sunday in Oregon.

Power surged to the lead in the middle stages of the race and kept a charging Christian Lundgaard and Alex Palou at bay over the event’s second half to claim the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland. It was the Australian’s first win of the year and the only victory for Team Penske in what’s been a tumultuous 2025 campaign.

“I think it’s just a big win for all the team,” Power said of the result. “We’ve had a rough year. And it’s not really because we’ve been off the pace. It’s just been unfortunate circumstances. I’ve had two engine failures…a tire failure…

“…It’s a good, hard-fought win.”

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Will Power, Team Penske, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Will Power, Team Penske, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

The triumph didn’t come easy. Power cycled through to the lead through the early pit sequences, but had Lundgaard in heavy pursuit over the final 40 laps, while Palou closed up a 20-second gap from third. The trio each had to navigate lapped traffic along the way.

Much of it worked to Power’s detriment, But the final car he lapped — David Malukas, who’s been his rumored replacement over the summer — allowed him by and briefly held up Lundgaard and Palou, instigating a battle between that pair that sent Palou off-course and gave Power some breathing room up front with four laps remaining.

From there, the two-time champion kept his wheels on-track and soared to the 45th victory of his lengthy IndyCar career.

“I’ve had a great career with Verizon and (Team) Penske,” Power said. “I’ve really enjoyed winning for the guys and everyone I’ve worked with for a long time. It’s awesome.”

Lundgaard got the better of the late scrap with Palou to take second, but it was Palou that got the last laugh. His 11th podium in 15 races was enough for the Spaniard to clinch his fourth IndyCar title, completing a three-peat with the most dominant campaign of his young career.

As the race unfolded

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Gavin Baker / Lumen via Getty Images

Pato O'Ward started on pole and had hopes of postponing Palou’s championship celebration. But he slowed and had to make an unscheduled stop when a wire connected to his No. 5 Chevrolet’s DI box malfunctioned on lap 22. The Mexican lost 10 laps getting the necessary repairs, effectively ending the title fight. He finished the race in 25th.

Graham Rahal used an alternative strategy to rise from 22nd to fourth, with Alexander Rossi wrapping up the top-five. Callum Ilott, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Armstrong, Felix Rosenqvist and Colton Herta completed the top 10.

Sunday’s race started with early drama. The first caution flag came just two laps in, when Santino Ferrucci lost control of his No. 14 Chevrolet at the exit of the final corner and slammed into the inside wall just past the pit attenuator. Another caution came quickly on the lap 8 restart, brought about by debris from a double-spin for Louis Foster and Rinus VeeKay.

The early action came to a crescendo when Christian Rasmussen and Conor Daly went to war on-track. Rasmussen first shoved Daly off-course on lap 13. Daly nearly slid into the Dane with a turn 2 lunge on the following lap, but avoided contact until he’d gotten alongside Rasmussen going into turn 9 on lap 15.
Then the pair made contact and Daly was sent sliding hard into the tire barrier.

 

“Purposefully wrecking someone in a 150mph corner is just pure insanity,” Daly later posted on X. “That’s not racing. It’s inexcusable. The driving standards, for some, are a joke right now. That means you (Rasmussen).”

Once the dust settled on that accident, the IndyCar field calmed down and went caution-free for the final 90 laps. Josef Newgarden spun on cold tires in turn 2 after contact from a trailing Scott Dixon on lap 84, but was able to get his machine righted and continue on without a caution. Daly and Ferrucci’s were the day’s only DNFs in 26th and 27th.

With Sunday’s race complete, just two oval races remain for the 2025 IndyCar season. The series will be back in action on Aug. 24 at the Milwaukee Mile.

Photos from Portland - Race

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Will Power, Team Penske, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Callum Ilott, Prema Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Colton Herta, Andretti Global

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing7

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Patricio O'ward, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, Will Power, Team Penske, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Portland - Sunday, in photos

Will Power, Team Penske

Portland - Sunday, in photos

IndyCar
52
   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Laps Time Interval Mph Pits Points Retirement
1 Australia W. Power Team Penske 12 110

 

    3    
2 Denmark C. Lundgaard Arrow McLaren 7 110

1.5388

    3    
3 Spain A. Palou Chip Ganassi Racing 10 110

2.4485

    3    
4 United States G. Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing 15 110

10.5791

    4    
5 United States A. Rossi Ed Carpenter Racing 20 110

16.1754

    3    
6 United Kingdom C. Ilott Prema Racing 90 110

17.7497

    4    
7 New Zealand S. McLaughlin Team Penske 3 110

26.9355

    3    
8 New Zealand M. Armstrong Meyer Shank Racing 66 110

28.1733

    3    
9 Sweden F. Rosenqvist Meyer Shank Racing 60 110

30.1013

    3    
10 United States C. Herta Andretti Global 26 110

37.6096

    3    
11 New Zealand S. Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing 9 110

38.4024

    4    
12
C. Rasmussen Ed Carpenter Racing
21 110

39.5430

    3    
13
L. Foster Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
45 110

52.0779

    5    
14
R. Robb Sting Juncos Hollinger Racing
77 110

53.0369

    5    
15 Israel R. Shwartzman Prema Racing 83 110

54.5093

    4    
16
N. Siegel Arrow McLaren
6 110

57.1126

    3    
17 Netherlands R. van Kalmthout Dale Coyne Racing 18 110

58.3276

    4    
18 Canada D. DeFrancesco Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing 30 110

1'00.1623

    3    
19 United States D. Malukas A.J. Foyt Enterprises 4 109

1 lap

    4    
20 United States K. Kirkwood Andretti Global 27 109

1.2057

    3    
21 United States K. Simpson Chip Ganassi Racing 8 109

1.7451

    3    
22 Sweden M. Ericsson Andretti Global 28 109

2.2735

    3    
23
J. Abel Dale Coyne Racing
51 109

14.3576

    4    
24 United States J. Newgarden Team Penske 2 109

34.9343

    3    
25 Mexico P. O'Ward Arrow McLaren 5 100

9 laps

    7    
26 United States C. Daly Juncos Hollinger Racing 76 13

96 laps

    1   Accident
27 United States S. Ferrucci A.J. Foyt Enterprises 14 1

108 laps

        Accident

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