The ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway lived up to its nickname the “Tricky Triangle” for 500 miles of intense racing. No race more intense than that of Will Power. After suffering a broken front wing that required change under green flag conditions, Power dropped a lap to the field on Lap 66.
That was when Power started put in the lap times. Like Michael Schumacher did in Hungary in 1998, Power began inching his way back toward the front with fast laps and great pit strategy. Power was always faster than the leaders during his time in the back. Then on Lap 117 of 200, he unlapped himself and started his climb toward the top.
During the penultimate round of pit stops, Power cycled himself toward the front on Lap 154. He set the fastest leader lap six laps later. The Australian would survive a late charge by IndyCar points leader and Team Penske team-mate Josef Newgarden for his 32nd career win, and third this year. The win also marked the first back-to-back Pocono victory in the race’s 24-year IndyCar history.
Apart from Power’s spectacular sprint to victory down a lap, Pocono was as wide open as ever. With a record 42 lead changes by 10 different drivers, 10 times by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Tony Kanaan alone; on this Sunday in eastern Pennsylvania as long as you kept running, you had a chance at the checkered flag.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Esteban Gutierrez who made contact early on Lap 23; Sebastian Saavedra who was involved in a single-car incident at Turn 1 on Lap 116; and when James Hinchcliffe and JR Hildebrand came together also at Turn 1, sending both into the SAFER barrier on Lap 125. All three incidents brought out the caution flag, the race spent 17 laps under caution in total.
From the Championship view, Newgarden increased his lead over new second place man Scott Dixon by 18 points; as Penske team-mate Castroneves dropped to third now down 22 points. Power’s win also put him back in contention, now fifth.
IndyCar now moves to western Illinois and Gateway Motorsports Park for the last oval of the year, August 25-26.
ABC Supply 500 Race Notes:
– Andretti Autosports’ Ryan Hunter-Reay was cleared to race after his crash in qualifying. He led 12 laps, and recovered to a Top-10 finish, P8.
– Despite starting on pole, Takuma Sato only led a corner, before Kanaan took the lead at the end of Lap 1.
– The cause for the many lead changes was Graham Rahal and Kanaan trading leads; a strategy employed at the Indianapolis 500 to increase a gap.
– Gutierrez was classified DNF at Pocono. His first in his short seven-race IndyCar career.
