The raw emotion on display was almost surreal. If you want to know what Indy means, just look at Will’s face. Just because the cars are more reliable and mostly the same doesn’t make it any easy race to win. It still takes a ton of skill, effort, and of course luck.
A wild Conor Daly appears to congratulate Will.
Power’s win at Indy this year, certainly cements him as one of the all-time great IndyCar drivers. His twin wins at Indy have also rejuvenated his season. Will now leads the points and is looking like a contender for the championship again. Will has also made history as the first driver to win the double, taking home victories in both the IndyCar GP and the Indy 500 (in the same year no less). He could also become only the second driver in history to pull off the Triple Crown: winning all three 500 mile races in a single year. Al Unser Sr pulled that stunt off in 1978 winning at Indianapolis, Pocono, and Ontario. Will has won at Texas and Pocono multiple times so he could very pull off the hat trick this year (though IndyCar is not running a Triple Crown championship this year). That would be mightily impressive.
This was a unique 500 in the DW12 era of IndyCar. This was very much a race of patience and planning. The last five Indy 500s have been all about drafting and getting to the front. A lot of fans called it boring, but watching drivers plan, calculate, and prepare a move for multiple laps was a different challenge and was entertaining in a different way than the last few 500s. The cars were tough to manage and that certainly shook things up. It was a race of patience and precision, two things Will Power hasn’t always been known for, making his win all the more impressive. That wraps up our coverage for 2018, but the 2018 IndyCar season continues through Detroit, Texas, Road America, Iowa, Toronto, Mid Ohio, Pocono, Gateway, Portland, and Sonoma. Keep watching for the best racing in North America!
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