Will Power scored his series-leading third victory this season, passing pole-sitter Santino Ferrucci in the first turn on the opening lap and cruising to win the IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland.
Power won by 9.8267 seconds at Portland International Raceway over championship leader Alex Palou, who has a 54-point margin in the standings with three races remaining. Palou could wrap up his third title in four years during next weekend’s doubleheader at The Milwaukee Mile.
Josef Newgarden finished third at Portland, followed by Colton Herta and Marcus Armstrong.
Marcus Ericsson, Scott McLaughlin, Ferrucci, Graham Rahal and Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top 10.
It’s the first time since the 2018 season that Power has won at least three races in a season. With his 44th career victory, the Team Penske driver broke a six-driver tie for the IndyCar lead in 2024 wins (Pato O’Ward, Scott Dixon, Palou, Newgarden and McLaughlin each have two victories this year).
Power led 101 of 110 laps, rebounding from a late-race wreck last week at World Wide Raceway Technology Raceway that left him fuming at Penske teammate Newgarden.
“Very rewarding,” Power, who started second, told NBC Sports’ Dillon Welch. “I came here determined. So did the whole team. From getting qualifying right and executing the race, it was absolutely a team effort. I’m very lucky to drive for this team, and I’m going to keep fighting ahead here. Really love this sereies and feel lucky to be a part of it and race all these good drivers and see if we can get a championship.”
To earn his third series title, Power, who moved up two spots to second in the points standings, still will need a lot of help from Palou, who earned his sixth podium this season.
“The team did a great job; just maybe a bit wrong with the strategy, but (Power) deserved it,” Palou told NBC Sports’ Georgia Henneberry. “They were really, really fast. I’m happy with P2 today.”
Though he would have liked to have finish one spot higher, Newgarden also said he was racing for second.
“Will have everybody covered today,” Newgarden told Welch. “Hard to say we were going to challenge him. Top three is where we were at today. This is a good day.
I’m happy Will got the win, He’s been fast all weekend and been gunning for this championship. I always want more, and I don’t like finishing third, but a good day for Team Penske.”
Dixon finished last after tangling with Pietro Fittipaldi on the first lap. The contact put Dixon’s No. 9 Dallara-Honda hard into the Turn 8 barrier, marking the first time the Chip Ganassi Racing star had crashed out on the opening lap since 2005.
The wreck effectively ended the bid for a record seventh championship by Dixon, who had entered third in the points standings.