Will Power secured the first win for himself and Team Penske in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series by expertly managing his tires to triumph at the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, August 10. Power crossed the finish line ahead of Christian Lundgaard, while Alex Palou finished third and officially secured his fourth IndyCar championship in five seasons.
Following this victory, Power spoke openly about his season’s challenges and his future within Team Penske and IndyCar generally, highlighting the significance of the win for both himself and the team after a difficult year.
“It’s just a big win for all of the team,”
Power told FOX Sports’ Jack Harvey.
Power experienced multiple setbacks throughout the season, including two engine failures and a tire issue, which affected his results despite competitive pace. His winning strategy involved splitting the race into segments, running hard to build a gap and carefully stretching his tires after a pit stop on lap 61 to maintain his advantage.
“Just stoked. I’ve had a great career with Verizon, with Penske. I really enjoy winning for the guys and everybody I’ve worked with for a long time. It’s awesome.”
Alex Palou Secures Fourth IndyCar Championship Amidst Intense Competition
Alex Palou steadily advanced through the field from early in the race, capitalizing on opportunities while remaining composed amidst fierce battles. Pato O’Ward, who led the opening laps, encountered electrical troubles around the 20-lap mark, effectively ending his title chances and allowing Palou to secure back-to-back championships as the race neared its conclusion.
When asked what gave him the advantage this season, Palou credited the strong support from his team and partners.
“The team I have behind me. All of our partners. Honda, who has given us all the power we need every single weekend. But my team, the car has been unbelievable, also today. It was a shame that we couldn’t end it with another win. But we fought. I gave everything that I had. I tried everything to overtake Lundgaard, but I couldn’t make it today.”
Race Dynamics and Key Battles on Track
Will Power dominated by leading 78 laps, particularly mastering tire conservation after the lap-61 pit stop to keep a safe margin. Christian Lundgaard secured his sixth podium finish of the 2025 season and engaged in a fierce battle with Palou for the runner-up position in the closing stages. Their contest grew intense, including physical racing where Palou was pushed off the track with four laps remaining. Despite this, Palou recovered smoothly and maintained a comfortable gap over fourth-place finisher Graham Rahal, who edged out Alexander Rossi.
Team Penske encountered more misfortune when Josef Newgarden, running in the top ten on lap 84, was spun out after contact with Scott Dixon and ultimately finished 24th.
The race itself faced a delayed start of 15 minutes and encountered multiple early cautions. The first caution arose on lap two due to a heavy crash involving Santino Ferrucci near the pit entry. Soon after, a multi-car collision between Kyffin Simpson, Rinus Veekay, and Louis Foster brought out another caution, with Simpson receiving a penalty for causing the incident.
On lap 14, aggressive racing between Conor Daly and Christian Rasmussen led to a significant collision that ended Daly’s race prematurely near turns nine and ten.
Upcoming Race and Season Outlook
The NTT IndyCar Series will head to the penultimate round on August 24 at the Milwaukee Mile for the Sanp-On Milwaukee Mile 250. FOX will provide live coverage starting at 2 p.m. ET.
Will Power’s ability to adapt his strategy and stretch his tires to victory at Portland adds renewed momentum to his campaign, while Palou’s repeated success cements his status as one of the strongest contenders in IndyCar history. The upcoming race in Milwaukee will be crucial for other drivers looking to challenge the leaders in the final stretch of the 2025 season.
