Will Power mastered tire life to take victory around Belle Isle. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
Will Power has taken victory at the Detroit Grand Prix, holding off a charging Alexander Rossi in the final laps around the 2.35-mile course.
Power had to manage tires that were well past their optimal life, and was nearly two seconds per lap slower as his softer tires gave out near the end of the race.
He had enough of a lead, however, that he was able to pick his way through lapped traffic and maintain the lead right through the checkered flag, with a final gap of just over one second.
The win comes as redemption for Power, who had a heartbreak race at this track last year when his car would not restart following a red flag that came out while he was leading the race.
Power moves back into the points lead with his win, and continues a year that has seen very consistent results across nearly every round.
He also gets bragging rights as the driver that won the final race around the historic Belle Isle circuit, and the series will take on a new downtown layout when it visits Detroit next year.
For Rossi, he just needed one more lap to take the fight to Power. As it was, the 70 lap race was just a bit too short for him to get back on the top step of the podium.
Scott Dixon earned the final place on the podium with a quiet drive that keeps the six-time champion in contention for a possible seventh title.
The pole sitter Josef Newgarden was the victim of tire strategy, and had to settle for a fourth-place finish, just ahead of Pato O’Ward who attempted the same strategy.
Graham Rahal was the first driver to retire after smacking the concrete barriers on the second lap of the race. The 26th place finish continues the 33-year-old’s bad luck that began last month.
Kyle Kirkwood was battling a sprained hand from his crash in practice, but his day ended early on account of a brush with the wall the broke a piece of his suspension with just 18 laps remaining.
Drivers have one more race to complete before they are able to rest, as Road America is on the schedule next weekend.
Keyword: Power hangs on to win final IndyCar race from Belle Isle