Power held off Newgarden and O’Ward for nearly the first third of the race. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
Will Power was among the drivers to have good results in both races of the doubleheader from Iowa Speedway over the weekend.
The veteran was able to claim pole for both events, and then went on to score a podium on Saturday and again on Sunday.
Those results continue a season marked by consistency, which is something Power has been lacking in recent years, and is something he’s been aiming to correct.
Talking after the race, Power described how being patient with his tires helped to not only hold the hard-chargers behind him at bay for the first 84 laps of the race, but also allowed him to secure a strong points weekend.
“Yeah, well, I was very patient at the start of the race,” said Power. “Just kind of driving to a pace to save the tire and kind of backing Josef [Newgarden] up a little bit.
“Then that gave me more time, gave the guys coming around a lap to degrade a tire, you’re saving. Certainly chopped through the field very quickly when we got to those guys, so it worked.
“Been trying to win around here for a long time. Been really wanting to win at this place, but keep coming up short. But yeah, really happy with the weekend.”
Power’s double podium did not vault him into the points lead, but it did significantly cut down on his deficit to Marcus Ericsson.
He came into the weekend 35 points behind the Indy 500 winner, but left only eight points adrift. More than ever, it seems that Power has a real chance at finally following up his 2014 championship with another title.
There are five races left in the 2022 IndyCar season, and he has shown to be proficient at each of the tracks coming up on the schedule.
Keyword: Patience paid off for Power as he earned double podiums in Iowa