Will Power claimed his first victory of the IndyCar season in Portland on Sunday, delivering Team Penske their long-awaited 2025 breakthrough, while Alex Palou secured his fourth championship title in style.
Delayed Start and Early Drama
The race, delayed by 37 minutes, began with Pato O’Ward leading from pole, fending off Felix Rosenqvist’s early charge. Power stayed in the the top three, and Palou survived a tense Turn 1 scramble to gain a position from Malukas into fourth place.
The opening laps were chaotic. Marcus Ericsson’s aggressive move on Scott Dixon hinted at tyre differences before Santino Ferrucci—last year’s polesitter—spun exiting the final corner on Lap 3, triggering the first of several yellow flags. Multiple incidents followed, including a heavy Lap 15 collision for Conor Daly by Christian Rasmussen, which brought another extended caution.
Pit Stop Shake-Ups
Strategy soon reshuffled the order. Under a Lap 17 yellow, many drivers pitted; Power stayed out to assume the lead, while O’Ward’s stop dropped him to 13th. McLaughlin climbed into the top three, but O’Ward’s day unravelled when a suspected mechanical issue forced him to halt in pit lane on Lap 23, effectively ending his challenge.
As the field cycled through pit stops, Power and Palou emerged among the frontrunners, with Graham Rahal and Callum Ilott also briefly leading during alternative strategies. By Lap 41, Power was back in control, setting the fastest lap of the race and holding a steady gap over Lundgaard, who switched to a fuel-saving mode in pursuit.
A Three-Way Battle for the Win
The race tightened dramatically in the final third. Multiple pit sequences and a Lap 84 full-course yellow — after contact between Dixon and Josef Newgarden — bunched the leaders. With 20 laps remaining, less than a second separated Power, Lundgaard, and Palou, sparking a tense, high-speed chess match.
Lundgaard threw everything at Power, using push-to-pass at almost every opportunity and trying to stay ahead of Palou. Malukas, playing the team game for Team Penske, briefly held up the challengers. That ended in Lundgaard forcing Palou onto the grass during a daring outside attempt.
Power Holds On, Palou Celebrates
In the closing laps, Power kept a cool head, gradually easing the gap to win. Lundgaard finished second, with Palou in third — enough to clinch the championship with two races to spare. Rahal took fourth, ahead of Alexander Rossi.
Palou, who celebrated with a few donuts after the chequered flag, reflected on the season:
“It’s unbelievable; I couldn’t be happier. I have no words to describe how grateful I am. This has been an amazing year. Shame that we couldn’t win it today, but we gave it our all.”
For Chip Ganassi Racing, it marked a 17th championship triumph, while for Power, the win may yet prove decisive in securing his seat for 2026.