Power brings Penske back to victory in Portland

Team Penske’s Will Power won the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland and Alex Palou won the 2025 IndyCar Series championship on Sunday in Oregon, clinching his fourth IndyCar crown since 2021 while settling the title with two full races left to run.

The Australian ended an uncharacteristic winless streak for the team that watched their rivals claim the first 14 races of the season, but there was no stopping Power who streaked away to a significant lead and dealt with immense pressure late in the 110-lap contest when Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Palou closed the gap to less than a second at one point.

Under duress, the two-time IndyCar champion didn’t make a mistake on the way to securing a 1.5s margin of victory over Lundgaard’s No. 7 Chevy and 2.4s over a spirited Palou who took multiple lunges on the Arrow McLaren ace before settling for the last step on the podium.

Behind them, Graham Rahal had his strongest run of the year and earned fourth in the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. The same was true for Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi who was a fine fifth in the No. 21 Chevy, and PREMA Racing’s Callum Ilott secured back-to-back sixth-place finishes in the No. 90 Chevy. Power’s teammate Scott McLaughlin was the next-best Penske driver in seventh, 26.9s shy of the winner in the No. 12 Chevy.

“It's just nice to win,” Power said. “The guys, the whole team, not just my car, but everyone – I think they've all put in a great effort this year and we've kind of been stomped down a few times, so it's good for everyone.”

The only significant incident of the race was an embarrassing affair for the series where Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing and Conor Daly of Juncos Hollinger Racing made contact three times across two laps where Rasmussen drove Daly off the track, then Daly hit Rasmussen from behind, and Rasmussen ended the contretemps with contact entering the high-speed Turn 10 chicane, sending Daly hard into the wall. IndyCar’s race control took no action.

RACER's request to speak with race control was denied, but it is understood that the inaction by the stewards is likely a result of its avoidable contact rule which places the responsibility on the overtaking driver – Daly, in this case at Turn 10 – to complete a clean maneuver.

Along with Palou’s championship, Honda also won the Manufacturers’ title.

As it happened

The green flag waves on a hot day in Portland and O’Ward gets a big jump off of the final corner to lead a clean run for everyone through Turn 1. Palou improves from P5 to P4.

Lap 3 and it’s a caution for a big hit out of Turn 12 by Ferrucci.

Lap 5 and it’s O’Ward, Rosenqvist, Power, Palou, Malukas, Rossi, Lundgaard, Armstrong, McLaughlin and Ericsson, who passed Dixon just before the yellow.

Lap 8 restart and O’Ward charges away as Foster and VeeKay get turned in the Turn 1 chicane. Caution.

Lap 11 restart and it’s O’Ward away again with a solid lead. Lundgaard takes P5 from Malukas.

Lap 12 and McLaughlin passes Rossi for P7.

Lap 13 and O’Ward on alternates leads Rosenqvist on alternates by 0.6s and Power on alternates by 1.3s. Daly is off track onto the back straight as Rasmussen runs him wide.

Lap 15 and caution for a huge crash by Daly who spent the whole lap tangling with Rasmussen, hitting him in Turn 1 from behind at the second apex. Firing into the final chicane there was more contact as Rasmussen appeared to make contact with the rear of Daly’s car which led to the spin and big impact. Rasmussen continued.

Lap 17 and the pits open. O’Ward pits along with Rosenqvist, leaving Power and Palou to lead the field with McLaughlin, Newgarden, DeFrancesco and Rahal as the new top six. O’Ward and Rosenqvist return in P13 and P14. Only the top five stayed out.

Lap 21 restart and Power streaks away while McLaughlin pressures Palou for P2. O’Ward is slowing and falls to last with a suspected electrical problem.

Lap 22 and Power leads Palou by 1.6s and McLaughlin by 2.2s. O’Ward’s car is stalled on pit lane. The championship could be over if Palou stays on track.

Lap 24 and Power is up by 2.4s on Palou who is on primary tires.

Lap 25 and the lead is 4.2s on Palou and 5.1s on McLaughlin.

Lap 29 and Power is flying on alternates with 6.5s over Palou and 7.8s on McLaughlin. O’Ward is seven laps down.

Lap 30 and O’Ward leaves the pits after a black box change on the No. 5 Chevy.

Lap 34 and Power is gone, leaving Palou 10.5s behind and McLaughlin is 12.2s arrears.

Lap 35 and McLaughlin pits to take new alternates.

Lap 36 and Power is in for used alternates and Palou follows to take new alternates.

Lap 37 and Rahal inherits the lead. Power resumes in P6 ahead of Lundgaard. Palou is P18 and McLaughlin is P21.

Lap 43 and it’s Power back in the lead with 2.6s on Lundgaard and 8.9s on Rosenqvist.

Lap 48 and Lundgaard pits from P2.

Lap 49 and Power leads Rossi by 17.6s and Dixon by 18.6s and 19.5s on Palou in fourth.

Lap 50 and Dixon pits from P3.

Lap 59 and Power is 17.0s up on Palou and 23.0s on Newgarden.

Lap 62 and Power pits from the lead and returns in P3 as Palou inherits the lead.

Lap 64 and Palou pits for alternates.

Lap 65 and Rahal leads Power, Ilott, Lundgaard, Newgarden and Palou in P6, 23.7s back.

Lap 70 and Power leads Lundgaard by 1.9s and Palou by 14.2s in P3.

Lap 71 and Power’s lead is falling to Lundgaard who’s got it down to 1.1s on his alternates to Power’s primaries. Palou on alternates is only 11.3s back.

Lap 74 and the gap to Lundgaard is holding at 1.1s but Palou is motoring to 9.8s away.

Lap 78 and Power’s lead is 1.4s on Lundgaard and 8.3s on Palou. Rahal is 16.5s back, Rossi is 20.8 down and Dixon is 24.3 shy in P6.

Lap 80 and Lundgaard makes his final pit stop to take new alternates.

Lap 81 and Power pits to take used alternates.

Lap 82 and Ericsson in P24 exits the pits in front of Power who loses his gap to Lundgaard. Palou pits for new alternates as the lap count ticks over to 83.

Lap 84 and Power leads Lundgaard by 0.5s and Palou by 6.2s as Rahal holds the lead ahead of his last stop. Newgarden is spun and stalled on the exit of Turn 2 after leaving the pits and getting spun by Dixon.

Lap 85 and Rahal pits as Newgarden gets going and no caution is needed.

Lap 86 and Power’s lead is 0.6s on Lundgaard and 3.9s on Palou. Dixon gets a penalty for the contact; drive-through.

Lap 89 and Power’s got 0.9s on Lundgaard and 2.4s on Palou.

Lap 91 and the lead on Lundgaard is the same but Palou’s within 1.7s.

Lap 94 and it’s 0.7s over Lundgaard and 1.3s on Palou for Power.

Lap 97 and Palou tries to take P2 from Lundgaard but runs wide.

Lap 98 and Power’s got 1.0s on Lundgaard and 1.5s on Palou.

Lap 101 and Power gets by Ericsson who lets the top 3 go. Power has 0.5s on a surging Lundgaard and 0.8s on Palou.

Lap 103 and it’s 0.8s on Lundgaard and 1.2s on Palou. Power is looking strong.

Lap 104 and it’s now 1.2s on Lundgaard. It’s Power’s race to win.

Lap 110 and Power is the winner of the 15th race of the season.

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