The Team Penske driver continued his qualifying mastery and will start from pole position in Sunday’s season finale, winning the Verizon P1 Award today at Sonoma Raceway.
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“It was obviously disappointing to have that gearbox problem”, Power said.
Menard made a slow return to Indy this year as sponsor for Simon Pagenaud in the 100th Indianapolis 500, and that deal grew to cover five races. What a race! So much emotion right now to be honest it’s hard to find the words. Helio Castroneves was a victor here in 2008 and is tied in points with Dixon for third in the standings.
Team Penske president Tim Cindric said the team calls it “a clutch control unit, which leaves the clutch engaged, and it hasn’t experienced such a failure since 2012 when it happened to Ryan Briscoe’s auto in a practice”.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal (No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Honda) crossed the finish line 3.2523 seconds adrift of Pagenaud, with Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28 DHL Andretti Autosport Honda), and Sunoco Rookie of the Year Alexander Rossi (No. 98 Castrol Edge/Curb Andretti Herta Autosport Honda) rounding out the top five on Sonoma Raceway’s 2.385-mile permanent road course.
“I felt bad for Will, but I’ve had my share of bad luck and I know that’s the way it goes sometimes”, Pagenaud said.
The championship was the 14th in Indy cars for Team Penske, celebrating its 50th anniversary in racing this year, and the race win was the team’s 187th in Indy vehicle competition – more than any other team.
Power never even got to the lead as Pagenaud dominated, leading 76 of the 85 laps. I wanted to get Pagenaud for the win but when I would get close, my auto would get massively loose. The organization had the positioning to win championships in both IndyCar and NASCAR, but came up empty in both series.
Team Penske is also looking for Helio Castroneves to finish high enough for a third-place finish in the series championship.
Without a functioning clutch, Will Power lost his chance to win another Verizon IndyCar Series championship Sunday. After what happened past year, just no way we could let that happen again. “It’s just how it flows, when it’s your year, it’s your year, and Simon has done a phenomenal job to lead a 1-2-3 finish”.
“It’s awesome. So proud of the team”.
“To get third in the championship, this season is over, it’s sad, but I can’t wait for next year to start already”, Castroneves said. It provided a bookend to the season since the Penske foursome accomplished the same feat in qualifying at the season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Indy 500 victor Alexander Rossi also ran maybe his best race of the year – and that includes his lucky Indy win – finishing fifth, but he ran out of fuel just short of the finish line while running fourth, which allowed Andretti teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay to squeeze by. Still, Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 victor clinched Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
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“Today was good until the last corner.” said Rossi “It’s heartbreaking to [run out of fuel] at the end”.
