Power lauds ‘good-crazy’ Markham track after ‘impossible’ run from last to third

Two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Will Power admits that he didn’t expect to finish on the podium in the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham after a spin in qualifying forced him to start from the back of the grid. However, good pace, wise strategy, decisive passes and (largely) staying out of trouble in a frequently chaotic race took him toward the front of the field. The result was a third place behind Andretti Global-Honda teammate Marcus Ericsson and Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean.

“I don't know how we ended up there,” he admitted. “Actually we had a really good car on restarts. Definitely made a lot of positions there. Then it was about making good strategy calls.

“At the end there you had to make a lot of passes to move yourself forward, which we were able to do. My tires were pretty done at the end. Just sort of holding on. But the others had to save fuel, so that helped get us up to third.

He later added: “Ron Ruzewski [strategist] usually puts me in the best spot. He did it again today. He told me, ‘What bonus do I get if you get on the podium?’ I'm thinking it is impossible. I said, ‘Whatever you want.’

“He's done that many times in my career. [He said] ‘Goal is top three today.’ I'm like, ‘There's no way, dude.’ We end up there. He does a very good job. Very good job on the stand.”

Power had a late-race clash with teammate Ericsson, who skidded past him with brakes locked as he approached the 25mph hairpin with nine laps to go, while the pair of them were stalking perennial series champion Alex Palou. The move took Power by surprise, but he admitted he had no intention of holding up Ericsson, who had made his final pit stop nine laps later, so had fresher tires and zero fuel consumption worries.

“It was miscommunication 'cause the team came on and said, ‘Marcus is really quick, he's coming.’ I said, ‘OK, tell him I'll let him go on the back straight so I can stay close to Palou.’ He didn't get the message, or it wasn't quick enough for him. Yeah, miscommunication. I didn't even look in my mirror. I just turned. Obviously at that point I was upset because we lost such [ground] to Palou. Just miscommunication… But we ended where we were going to end anyway, so it was fine.

“Marcus just took off because he had the pace. We could have opted for that strategy. My tires went off pretty badly at the end. I think the strategy we did was correct for us. Just didn't quite have the pace 'cause I had that many more laps on my tires. I really hustled to make track position. Kind of hurt my tires early. Tried to conserve.

“But that was a good day. Obviously it would be nice to get a win, but I keep getting podiums. That's all we're looking for, really good race pace, good strategies and everything.”

Power also drew satisfaction from rewarding his Andretti Global crew. A sizable shunt in second practice had left them with much work to do in a constricted time frame ahead of the qualifying session, and then a spin in Q1 put him to the back of the grid and also harmed the chances of a closely following teammate, Kyle Kirkwood. The team therefore made a prudent call to install fresh engines in both cars and absorb the six-place grid penalty: Power had nothing to lose, having been consigned to the back anyway.

“A lot of those guys got two hours' sleep last night,” he said. “Repaired a car from Practice 2, did an engine last night… I wanted to have a good day for them. You have to put everything out of your mind, head down.”

Power also praised the new 2.19-mile street course.

“A very cool track – I said it from the first laps, epic track,” he remarked. “Very high commitment. Cool street course… As you saw, you got to be so on your toes to drive it.

“Crazy track, man – like in good-crazy.”