45 wins, 2 INDYCAR Championships (2014 and 2022), a record 71 poles, and one Indianapolis 500 victory. Will Power is an icon in the IndyCar field. With the news breaking on Tuesday that IndyCar driver Will Power was out at Penske, the IndyCar world took a step back to recognize the impact of one of its top drivers. Will joined Penske for the start of the 2010 season officially and quickly made a name for himself in the Indy circuit. The long-time IndyCar driver was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, in March of 1981. He got his start in Europe before racing in the Champ Car series.
Rookie of the Year
Will joined Champ in 2005 and found immediate success, earning “Rookie of the Year” honors with the series. When Champ Car and IRL joined up in 2008, Power found himself needing a ride, and while he joined with KV Racing, it left Power wanting more. It wouldn’t be until January 13, 2009, when Roger Penske announced that he had signed Will Power to join along with Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, that Power found a home. Will found a win at Edmonton, but a severe crash later in the year forced him to withdraw for the rest of the season.
2010 would be a fantastic year for the young Australian and for Team Penske. Power would secure eight poles with Team Penske grabbing 12 of the top spots in 17 races. Power would also win five races that year and finish second in the championship. In 2011, Will Power would once again be a bridesmaid in the point standings, finishing second behind Dario Franchitti for the second year in a row. Of course, with the Vegas race, we will never know if Will Power would have grabbed that from Dario. Will would secure pole for the first four races of the season, winning two of them. Ultimately, in 2011, Will would grab eight poles and six wins.
Continued Success
In 2012, Will Power would once again finish in second place in the championship with five poles and three wins. He would grab the road course championship, though. In 2013, AJ Allmendinger would join Team Penske, and Will Power would nab three poles and three victories, including the last two of the season. This gave Will Power hope for the 2014 season. Will Power would grab the 2014 season by storm, securing his first title in a year where he only got pole four times and won three times, including the season opener.
In 2015, the defending series champion would finish third despite struggling on ovals. Power would be joined at Team Penske by longtime teammate Helio Castroneves. Penske would also welcome newcomers Simon Pagenaud and Juan Pablo Montoya. Power would see pole six times but would only grab one win at the Indy GP. In 2016, Will would once again finish second in the championship. Despite only getting two poles, he would win a total of four races.
In 2017, Josef Newgarden would come to Team Penske, joining Power, Helio, and Simon Pagenaud full-time. Power would again show that he was the king with six poles, where he would ultimately win three times and finish fifth overall. In 2018, Will Power would finally beat the ghost that eluded him so many seasons prior with a huge win at the Indianapolis 500. With that win, alongside wins at Gateway and the Indy GP, Power finished third in the points.
In 2019, Will would grab three poles and two victories, finishing fifth overall in the points. In 2020, Scott McLaughlin would join Team Penske. Power would get five poles and two wins in the COVID-shortened season.
Struggles
In 2021, Will Power signed an extension, but struggled as he only grabbed one pole and one victory at the IMS Road course. The Australian would finish ninth in the points standings. In 2022, Power started the year by scoring top-five finishes in each of the first five races. He grabbed five poles and one win in Detroit. He also would win the championship, his third.
In 2023, Will Power struggled and had his toughest year on the track. The veteran driver dealt with personal issues and was by his wife’s side as she battled medical problems. A wreck in practice with longtime opponent Scott Dixon that almost led to blows seemed to be the icing on the cake for a year that was just a disaster for Will. Power got back-to-back poles at Iowa but couldn’t secure a win. It would be his first season without a win in the series.
In 2024, Power regained some of his old form, as he would finish 2nd three times in the first five races. He would also win three times, including a win at Road America. 2025 would see more struggles for Will, who would start with a DNF at St. Pete. He would also get caught with an illegal attenuator at the Indy 500. Power would right the ship with a win at Portland. The Aussie still feels like he has a lot left to give.
What’s Next
Now Will Power finds himself heading to Andretti. With the close of this chapter, what is next for the best pole man in all of racing? Is there still something left in the 44-year-old’s tank? Andretti is banking on it. As for Team Penske? They will announce their plans for the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet at a later date before the 2026 season.
Image Credit: Chris Jones/ Penske Entertainment
