Will Power – BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland – Photo by Chris Owens

Courtesy of INDYCAR

PORTLAND, Ore. _ Will Power and Team Penske delivered a message Sunday by winning the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland: The race for INDYCAR’s Astor Challenge Cup is far from over.

Power earned his NTT IndyCar Series-leading third victory of the 2024 season in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet and gained ground on championship leader Alex Palou with three races remaining. Power drove to a massive, 9.8267-second victory over Palou’s No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on Portland International Raceway’s 1.964-mile/12-turn natural terrain road-course.

Two-time series champion Power, who started second, earned the 44th victory of his Hall of Fame career on the heels of disappointing consecutive finishes of 12th in July on the Streets of Toronto and 18th last weekend on the World Wide Technology Raceway oval in Madison, Ill.

“Very rewarding,” said Power, a 43-year-old native of Australia and team-owner Roger Penske’s longest-tenured driver. “I came here determined, so did the whole team. We wanted to get qualifying right and then execute in the race. It’s not a last-ditch effort, but really, if Palou finished ahead of us, it was going to be very difficult.

“We’re going to keep fighting ahead here. A couple of bad races before this, but let’s see if we can get a championship.”

Josef Newgarden, another two-time series champ, finished third in the No. 2 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet, with Colton Herta fourth in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. Marcus Armstrong completed the top-five in the No. 11 American Legion Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Palou, the two-time/reigning series champion from Spain, leads Power by 54 points _ the maximum number a driver can earn in one race. Herta slipped from second to third, 67 points behind Palou.

The three remaining races of 2024 are all on ovals _ the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s doubleheader Aug. 31-Sept. 1 on The Milwaukee Mile and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sept. 15 at Nashville Superspeedway. INDYCAR hasn’t raced at The Milwaukee Mile since 2015 or Nashville Superspeedway since 2008.

Power has 10 career victories on ovals, including in 2014 at Milwaukee and last month at Iowa Speedway; Palou has zero oval-track victories among his 11 career series wins.

“We’ve been very, very good on ovals _ very solid,” said Power, the Indianapolis 500 champion in 2018. “Obviously, they’re two ovals that we haven’t raced at in a long time, so it’s anyone’s game. I hope we get it right. We’ll do our best and take the fight to Alex.”

Power wasted no time Sunday taking the fight to Palou at the drop of the green flag. Power passed NTT P1 Award winner Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing entering Turn 1 on the opening lap and was out front and in control for the rest of the 110-lap/216.04-mile race except for pit stops. Power led a race-high 101 laps.

Palou passed Ferrucci for second on Lap 8 and, like Power, stayed in that spot for most of the remainder of the race except for pit stops. Ferrucci, a resident of Dallas who earned Foyt Racing’s emotional first pole since 2014 Saturday, finished eighth in the No. 14 Phoenix Investors Chevrolet.

Palou’s best chance to pass Power developed on Lap 26, when native Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi exited the pits in the No. 30 Localiza Rent-a-Car Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing directly in front of Power after serving a drive-through penalty. That slowed Power and allowed Palou to pull up to Power’s gearbox in Turn 7. However, Power parried the move and retained the lead.

Quick work by the Team Penske pit crew on Power’s first stop all but sealed the win, especially since there were no caution periods after a first-lap fracas involving Kyle Kirkwood, six-time series champ Scott Dixon and Fittipaldi. Power’s first stop, at the end of Lap 32, lasted 6.9-seconds. Palou made his first stop one lap later, but it took 9.2-seconds.

From there, Palou slipped back as varying tire strategies unfolded over the final two pit stops. Power started on the Firestone Firehawk primary tires and was able to use the quicker Firestone alternate/red-sidewall tires in all three stops. Palou aggressively used a set of alternate tires in NTT P1 Award qualifying Saturday and was forced to take the less-grippy primary tires for his final stint, ensuring Power’s cruise to victory.

“Maybe we were a bit wrong with the strategy there,” Palou said. “Went too aggressive in qualifying and really didn’t have any good used alternates. It was tough work there on primaries having to catch Will, but the No. 12 deserved it. They were very, very fast. Happy with the P2 today.”

The top eight drivers in the standings remain mathematically eligible to win the Astor Challenge Cup as season champion. But it’s looking more and more like a three-driver race for the title among Palou, Power and Herta.

The drive for a seventh title by Dixon was derailed when the native of New Zealand crashed the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda into the guardrail on Lap 1 after contact from Fittipaldi. Dixon was forced into the dirt earlier in the lap amid tight traffic by the No. 27 AutoNation Honda of Andretti Global’s Kirkwood. Dixon subsequently was hip-checked by Fittipaldi’s car shortly after returning to the racing surface.

Dixon finished last in the 28-car field _ the veteran’s lowest result since being taken out in a crash and placing 32nd in the 2017 Indianapolis 500. Dixon sits fifth in points, 101 behind Palou.

First race of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s doubleheader is scheduled for 6 p.m. (EDT) Saturday, Aug. 31, with live coverage on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Race No. 2 will start at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1, with USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network providing live coverage.

Jacob Abel knew the task and completed it to perfection. Abel kept alive his faint hopes for the 2024 INDY NXT by Firestone championship by passing point-leader Louis Foster on the first lap en route to winning Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway.

Abel drove the No. 51 Abel Construction entry fielded by Abel Motorsports to victory by 0.4103-seconds over Foster’s No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car of Andretti Global.

“We didn’t roll off the trailer that well at all,” said Abel, a 23-year-old native of Kentucky. “We were really struggling there the first practice session, especially going against someone like Louis, who won here last year and rolled off and just made his stuff better and better. Huge shoutout to the Abel Motorsports crew.”

Abel’s third victory of the season and his career _ his first since early May on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course _ pulled him to within 79 points of Englishman Foster with two races remaining. Foster needs to lead the standings by 54 points after the upcoming race _ the INDY NXT by Firestone Milwaukee 100 on Saturday, Aug. 31, at The Milwaukee Mile _ to clinch his first title in INDYCAR’s developmental series.

Foster and Abel are the only drivers eligible for the championship, which includes a financial package to run selected NTT IndyCar Series races.

“We’re really just trying to go out and win some races,” Abel said. “We lost a little bit of ground there in the middle of the season, so just trying to go out and have some fun and enjoy my last few races in INDY NXT and hopefully make the jump to INDYCAR next year.”

Rookie Bryce Aron of Andretti Global completed the podium on PIR’s 1.964-mile/12-turn natural terrain road-course in the No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield machine after starting sixth. That finish tied his career-best set in June at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

Rookie Caio Collet finished fourth in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car, followed by fellow-rookie and teammate Christian Brooks in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports machine. Brooks tied a career-best with his fifth-place result.

Abel wasted no time pouncing on an opportunity to pass Foster and keep the championship race alive. Abel, who started second, dove inside pole-sitter Foster into the precarious, right-hand Turn 1 on the first lap and led all 35 laps/68.74-miles. Foster stayed within a half-second of Abel’s gearbox for the entire race, often closing to within a single-car length.

Foster, who leads the series with six wins this season, pulled close enough to challenge on Lap 12 but was rebuffed by Abel in a near-calamity for both drivers. Foster pulled inside of Abel entering the Turn 10 left-hander, with Foster’s right front tire making light contact with Abel’s left-rear tire. Foster backed-off, and both drivers continued, with Foster applying pressure on leader Abel for the rest of the race.

Results of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland NTT IndyCar Series event on the 1.964-mile/12-turn Portland International Raceway in Oregon, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1. (2) Will Power, Chevrolet, 110, Running
   2. (3) Alex Palou, Honda, 110, Running
   3. (5) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 110, Running
   4. (8) Colton Herta, Honda, 110, Running
   5. (7) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 110, Running
   6. (10) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 110, Running
   7. (20) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 110, Running
   8. (1) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 110, Running
   9. (12) Graham Rahal, Honda, 110, Running
   10. (11) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 110, Running
   11. (14) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 110, Running
   12. (17) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 110, Running
   13. (4) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 110, Running
   14. (18) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 110, Running
   15. (22) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 110, Running
   16. (28) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 110, Running
   17. (19) Toby Sowery, Honda, 109, Running
   18. (24) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 109, Running
   19. (15) Juri Vips, Honda, 109, Running
   20. (25) David Malukas, Honda, 109, Running
   21. (23) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 109, Running
   22. (26) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 109, Running
   23. (21) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 109, Running
   24. (27) Jack Harvey, Honda, 109, Running
   25. (13) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 109, Running
   26. (16) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 108, Running
   27. (6) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 107, Running
   28. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 0, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 112.161 mph
Time of race: 01:55:34.1948
Margin of victory: 9.8267-seconds
Cautions: 1 for 4 laps
Lead changes: 8 among 5 drivers

Lap Leaders
Power, Will 1 – 31
Palou, Alex 32
Newgarden, Josef 33
Power, Will 34 – 56
Herta, Colton 57 – 60
Armstrong, Marcus 61
Power, Will 62 – 85
Palou, Alex 86 – 87
Power, Will 88 – 110

NTT IndyCar Series point standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 484; 2, Will Power, Team Penske, 430; 3, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 417; 4, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 396; 5, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 383; 6, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 360; 7, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 353; 8, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 342; 9, Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren, 295; 10, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 274;

11, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 265; 12, Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 261; 13, Marcus Armstrong, Chip Ganassi Racing, 258; 14, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 257; 15, Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing, 240; 16, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 227; 17, Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 218; 18, Linus Lundqvist, Chip Ganassi Racing, 216; 19, Sting Ray Robb, A.J. Foyt Racing, 156; 20, Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 156;

21, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 152; 22, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 124; 23, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 114; 24, Augustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 109; 25, David Malukas, Meyer Shank Racing, 102; 26, Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing, 96; 27, Theo Pourchaire, Arrow McLaren, 91; 28, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 51; 29, Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 46; 30, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 45;

31, Toby Sowery, Dale Coyne Racing, 45; 32, Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren, 39; 33, Katherine Legge, Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing, 29; 34, Luca Ghiotto, Dale Coyne Racing, 27; 35, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 26; 36, Kyle Larson, Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren, 21; 37, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 19; 38, Tristan Vautier, Dale Coyne Racing, 12; 39, Juri Vips, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 11; 40, Colin Braun, Dale Coyne Racing, 10;

41, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-Cusick Motorsports, 6; 42, Hunter McElrea, Dale Coyne Racing, 6; 43, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb Agajanian, 5.