Will Power equalled his best result of the 2026 IndyCar season with a third-place finish at Road America, although late contact with Graham Rahal left the Andretti driver waiting for confirmation of his podium.
Power started 10th but dropped to 15th after putting his wheels on the grass during the opening lap. He gradually worked his way back into contention as repeated cautions and different pit strategies reshuffled the order. Andretti brought him into the pits before several rivals, helping him avoid the worst consequences of the unpredictable yellow-flag periods.
The Australian entered the final restart in the fight for third. He passed Rahal into Turn 1 before running wide at Turn 8 and surrendering the position. Power then used his remaining push-to-pass to close rapidly on the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver approaching Canada Corner.
The pair made contact when Rahal moved across, sending the No. 15 into the barrier. Power continued and crossed the line third behind Christian Lundgaard and David Malukas.
Power described the incident as unfortunate but believed he had no way to avoid the contact once both drivers had committed to braking.
“Yeah, unfortunate there. I was braking, he was braking. I don’t understand why that was. It took me by surprise, obviously. That’s what caused that. It’s a pity.
“But still, it was a very good day for us overall. I’m really glad to finish third.”
Power waited for confirmation after Rahal contact
The contact left Power uncertain whether officials would allow him to retain the position. However, he maintained that he had already reached the limit of his braking performance when Rahal moved across.
“[It was] a rough season, for sure. We’ve had a lot of potential. Yeah, it was nice sitting there in third, then waiting to see what would happen with that contact.
“From my perspective, I could not do anything. I mean, I was at the capacity of braking. He moved over. There was nothing I could do.”
Power also acknowledged that his own earlier mistake had created the situation. After initially passing Rahal, he locked up at Turn 8 and allowed him back through before launching the final attack.
“Yeah, that was good, too. He just kind of moved over, got his rear wheel. That was that.
“But, yeah, I probably shouldn’t have got myself into that position to start with. I was third, locked up in eight, and he passed. I hadn’t locked up all day. It took me by surprise in Turn 8.
“Good strategy. We actually had a fast car. The car was very fast on blacks. The reds went off pretty badly.
“We’re conscious of the new sort of IndyCar throwing yellows very quickly. It is a risk to go long, no question, as a lot of people found out today.
“Yeah, we were on the good side of that and made sure we were by pitting early. But there were some eventful restarts. Honestly, I was pushing qualifying laps for those last couple of stints, for sure.”
The need to take solid results
Although Power had regularly shown competitive speed during the season, he had struggled to convert promising positions into strong finishes. His Road America podium marked a welcome change after a difficult opening part of the campaign.
The former IndyCar champion said he would have accepted a top-five result before the 2026 Road America race. However, he still believed drivers should attack when a genuine opportunity to win emerged.
“I would have taken a top five. It’s not that there has been a lack of pace. We’ve led five races and been in great positions. It’s just about finishing it off.
“Yeah, I think you’ve just got to accept a top five sometimes. I think if you’ve got a shot at a win, you should always go for it.
“Yeah, we’re in a position where we’re not going to win the championship, so we probably can take some risks on strategy and so on to go for a win.”
Power questions IndyCar’s caution approach
Several cautions transformed the running order during the 55-lap race. Christian Rasmussen’s stoppage on the main straight proved particularly influential, promoting Marcus Armstrong and Malukas after they had pitted shortly before the yellow appeared. Other drivers lost heavily after being caught on the wrong side of the timing.
Power believed IndyCar’s willingness to call cautions quickly had contributed to the 2026 Road America race’s unpredictable nature.
“How the yellows are thrown. That’s why. There were a lot of restarts. The whole field gets mixed up.
“I was not a big fan of not letting the pit-stop sequence happen. As you saw, a whole bunch of people ended up getting put back. I think there’s a happy balance there.”
He argued that the current approach discouraged teams from extending their stints because they could lose significant ground if officials called a caution before they pitted.
“It makes it a risk to go long. It is kind of pushing everyone towards the same strategy a bit, yeah. It’s too hard to understand when they will throw it. If someone spins or someone has to be in the gravel…
“In the past, if someone went into the gravel and there was no contact, they would let the sequence happen, throw the yellow and give everyone a chance to pit. Which, to me, in all motorsports around the world, is the fairest and best way you can do it.
“With virtual safety cars, people get a free pit stop. I thought IndyCar was doing it the best way. Now we’re sort of back to completely inverting the field at times, which I’m not a massive fan of.”
Power warns system could be manipulated
Power did not call for every caution to be delayed. He accepted that IndyCar needed to act immediately when a driver hit a barrier or stopped in a dangerous position.
However, he wanted officials to use greater discretion when a car sat safely in a gravel trap and did not pose an immediate threat.
“I think there’s just leeway there. If a car makes contact, everyone knows it’s going to go yellow immediately. I think if a car is safely in the gravel, with no contact, and it’s getting stuck, maybe you should let the pit-stop sequence happen.
“I mean, yeah, it depends where you qualify. If you qualify at the back, you’re fishing for those lucky yellows, someone going into the gravel.
“What it opens up to is, when it comes down to the last race, you can have a teammate drive into the gravel for you, 100 per cent. I’m not joking. It’s happened.”
Praising Lundgaard’s road-course pace
Lundgaard recovered from last place after first-lap contact with Scott Dixon forced him to pit for a replacement front wing. The Arrow McLaren driver charged back through the field, used an alternative strategy and inherited the lead when Armstrong suffered an engine failure with four laps remaining.
Power praised Lundgaard’s form and suggested the paddock welcomed a different winner after a season shaped by familiar championship contenders.
“Yeah, he’s been incredibly quick on a couple of these road courses. His race pace has been amazing. I think people are happy to see someone else win, to be honest.”
Backing Malukas as Team Penske successor
Power also spoke positively about Malukas, who finished second during the 2026 IndyCar Road America race and returned to second in the championship standings.
Asked about competing against the younger driver connected with the No. 12 Penske seat, Power said Malukas had justified the team’s faith through his performances across different circuit types.
“It’s cool to see him kicking ass, man. Honestly, eventually I was going to retire anyway. I think he was absolutely the right guy.
“He’s done a bloody good job. He’s beating his teammates every week. He’s good on ovals. He’s a package. He’s doing good, man.”
Malukas admitted that he had to restrain his youthful instincts while fighting for the championship. Power responded with a characteristically blunt reminder that experience did not always remove that temptation.
“I still do stupid stuff. It never changes.”
