Will Power started fourth and held off a challenge from Christian Lundgaard to win the NTT INDYCAR Series’ BITNILE.COM Grand Prix at Portland International Raceway, while Alex Palou podiumed to win his fourth title in five seasons, accumulating eight wins in the first 15 events of 2025.
“It’s a big win for all of the team,” explained Power, the highest-ranking Penske driver this season, who led 78 of the 110 laps and is currently ranked sixth overall (Scott McLaughlin is 11th and Josef Newgarden is 18th). “We’ve had a rough year. We haven’t been off the pace but just a victim of circumstances. I’ve had a great career with Verizon and Team Penske. I enjoy winning for all the guys.”
Power, the fastest driver in INDYCAR history, has earned a record 71 poles. The Australian won the 2018 Indianapolis 500, two INDYCAR titles (2014 and 2022), and ranks fourth on the all-time wins list with 45 (behind AJ Foyt – 67 wins, Scott Dixon – 58, and Mario Andretti – 52), but does not know his future as Team Penske has yet to offer him a contract renewal. Speculation in the paddock has David Malukas moving from AJ Foyt Racing, which has a technical alliance with Team Penske, into the No. 12 car’s seat.
Questioned about his future after a repeat win at the Portland race, earning the first win for Team Penske this season, Power said, “I won three races last year. If you’re a team, if you’re waiting on me to know if I’m good enough, I don’t know what you’re thinking. Just go back to last year and you’ll f*#@ing know.
“I’m driving the best I ever have,” continued Power. “It’s as simple as that. I’m not slowing down. I am not slower; I am faster. My toolbox is still big as far as understanding the cars, race craft, all that. I never stop working at it. It’s a passion. I love it. That’s why I’m still winning.”
Drivers were aggressive at the start with elbows out, even though all 27 drivers managed to cleanly run through the treacherous Festival Curve, the first and second turn hairpin at the end of the long front straightaway, which also serves as a drag strip.
The 110-lap race, on the 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course, required three pit stops and the softer alternate, red tire appeared preferred in spite of the ambient temperature exceeding 90°F (32°C). Due to three cautions taking place in the first 15 laps, two different strategies emerged with most of the drivers pitting halfway through their first fuel stint. Power and Palou stayed out but Lundgaard pitted.
“We’ve shown so much pace all weekend,” stated a disappointed Lundgaard, unable to score his first win with his Arrow McLaren team. “We got the pole yesterday but had an engine change penalty. We gave it everything we had. There are only things to be proud of considering where the team was last year. We were first and second in qualifying. Last year none of the cars transferred (to the Fast Six). The trajectory the team is on is only upward and I’m excited for the years to come. It’s unfortunate for the No. 5 car (Pato O’Ward) today. You can’t do this without all the team personnel, the truckies, the mechanics, the engineers. It’s frustrating because we’ve had two second-place finishes in a row but it also means we lost twice in a row.
“We were worst on fuel and on tires,” continued Lundgaard, who earned his first and only INDYCAR win at Toronto in 2023 with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team. “Essentially, this track is so difficult with dirty air, you really can’t do much. That’s why no positions were really exchanged at the end of the day. Alex caught us. We were having trouble with the back markers, Will and I. That’s really the only opportunity you have. At the end of the day, if it’s a train, then no one can really do anything.”
Toronto’s Devlin DeFrancesco qualified 14th, the highest of his teammates, Graham Rahal (22nd) and Louis Foster (17th). The field was so competitive that 26 of the 27-car field qualified within one second of each other. DeFrancesco ran as high as fifth in the race, but received two blocking penalties, requiring him to first drop three spots and then five more to finish 18th.
“We started on the primary (harder, black) tires,” described DeFrancesco. “It was hard to keep people behind me, but I was doing what I could at the time. We received two penalties that I don’t think were justified. I don’t understand why or who they were on or what the deal was. That really killed our day.”
Drivers have the next weekend off but return to competition at the Milwaukee Mile on August 24 and then the season finale at the Nashville oval on August 31.
Palou Locks Up His Fourth Title
O’Ward, the only driver who had a mathematical chance to catch Palou, trailed by 121 points entering the Portland race. Teammate Lundgaard earned a point for winning the pole in qualifying only to have a six-position grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. That moved O’Ward to start in pole position and he led the first 15 laps. But an electronic issue, a wiring short in his Chevy engine, caused the Mexican to lose power and fall nine laps down while the team replaced the direct injection control box and wiring loom in pit lane.
That didn’t stop Palou from fighting for second and perhaps the win by trying to pass Lundgaard in the final 12 laps. Palou had more Push to Pass than either Lundgaard or Power, but once alongside Lundgaard, he caught the edge of the track and went off, recovering to finish third.
“It’s unbelievable,” exclaimed Palou about winning his fourth title for Chip Ganassi Racing and eight season wins to date. “An amazing season. I can’t wait for more. Honda has given us all the power we need every weekend. One of our goals was to win the title and the race. This year has been even more than magical with the 500, with so many wins. Today we wanted a win, as well. But I’m super happy. I still cannot believe that I’m a four-time INDYCAR champion. I’m going to enjoy every single second of it.”
Asked why he took the risk to pass Lundgaard for second place, the Spaniard said, “We’re here to win. Although we have that big goal of winning the championship, our priority is always to win races and win every single weekend. I saw that I had two small opportunities. I gave it everything I had to try to overtake Lundgaard. I thought I could have done the same thing to Will. But it didn’t work. I didn’t want to go home without trying.”
Although Chevy won this race, their third victory of the season, Honda locked up the manufacturer’s title.
Palou’s championship gives team owner Chip Ganassi his 17th title, tying Team Penske. With two races remaining, Palou has 626 points, with O’Ward still ranked in second, with 475 points (finished 25th in the Portland race).
