Will Power completed a perfect race weekend with victory at the INDYCAR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, after topping every session across the course of the event.
The 85-lap race ran completely caution free, with only two retirements, both due to mechanical issues.
Power started the race from pole position alongside Penske team-mate Helio Castroneves, trading the lead with the Brazilian on his way to his first victory of the season.
Four-time champion Scott Dixon ended the race second for Chip Ganassi Racing, after starting from fourth on the grid.
Ryan Hunter-Reay enjoyed a competitive race for Andretti Autosport, rising up from eight to finish a strong third, after a late overtaking manoeuvre on the struggling Penske of Castroneves.
Reigning champion Simon Pagenaud lacked pace during the early stages of the race, before gradually rising through the order order to end the race fourth.
Veteran Castroneves led for several laps after perfecting the undercut during the first round of pit stops, though he was forced to complete the final stint of the race on the slower black primary Firestone tyres.
This left Castroneves at a disadvantage compared to his rivals and he slipped down the order from second, eventually crossing the line fifth.
Graham Rahal was another driver who enjoyed a productive race after struggling in qualifying, rising up from a lowly 20th on the grid to come home a very respectable sixth.
Former Formula 1 racer Max Chilton finally managed to secure his first top ten finish of the season in P7, while reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Alexander Rossi was eighth for Andretti Herta Autosport, ahead of Spencer Pigot, who unquestionably enjoyed the best start to the race.
Pigot, who is only competing on the road and street courses for Ed Carpenter Racing, scythed through the order from from 16th to eighth during the opening few laps, pulling off moves on the likes of Rossi and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Despite stalling in the pits during his first stop Pigot persevered and managed to battle his way back through the order to finish ninth.
Montoya rounded out the top ten for Penske, struggling to capitalise on his relatively competitive qualifying during throughout the race.
Josef Newgarden was on course for a strong finish for Penske, but the Barber race winner was issued with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits during the final round of stops.
To add insult to injury Newgarden was then caught speeding while serving his original penalty, and was therefore penalised with a second drive-through penalty on his way to an unlucky 13th.
Sebastien Bourdais and Charlie Kimball were the only retirements of the race, with both drivers suffering mechanical failures.
Meanwhile the only major contact throughout the race occurred on the opening lap, when Marco Andretti tapped Tony Kanaan’s Ganassi, causing a puncture for the Brazilian and a drive-through penalty for Andretti.
Discussion about this post