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Power Fleeces IndyCar Field At Pocono And Moves Into Championship Contention

Winner Will Power gives victory salute. [Joe Jennings Photo]

Winner Will Power gives victory salute. [Joe Jennings Photo]

By Joe Jennings

Long Pond, Penna. – Will Power’s Team Penske Chevrolet didn’t come alive until midway through the ABC Supply 500 at the Pocono Raceway, but when it did, he stormed to the front and handily beat out pole winner Mikhail Aleshin and hard-luck driver Ryan Hunter-Reay for the victory.

The Verizon IndyCar Series race was run on Monday as rain on Sunday forced a one-day postponement. Monday’s weather featured all-day sunshine with cool temperatures and gusty winds.

For the Australian, he chalked up his fourth win of the season and 29th overall win, tying him with Helio Castroneves and Rick Mears for 11th on the all-time list.

In the point race, Power moved within 20 markers of teammate Simon Pagenaud, who crashed out of the race. Coming into the race, Pagenaud led by 58.

His margin of victory was 1.1459 seconds over Aleshin, who led the 200-lap race eight times for 87 laps.

Said the victor, “Starting eighth, my car wasn’t that good early, and we had to make a lot of adjustments. Around lap 100, the car started to come around and then it became really strong. I could pass anyone I wanted to, and people couldn’t tow up to me. My team did a fantastic job, and we had great pit stops and strategies.”

Aleshin had a very impressive run and thrilled the crowd with his dazzling moves.

“Today was great but it could have been greater if I was standing on top of the podium,” the Russian driver said. “Today, Will (Power) deserved it more because he was just faster. I could catch him, but I could not pass him. I was sideways and almost lost my car a couple of times, as I wanted this win so bad. I am very proud of this team, and we are getting stronger.”

2015 race winner Hunter-Reay started last in a back-up car, but he powered his way through the field twice, only to have his car cut-out with 37 laps to go. After three tries, the car re-fired and he charged through the field, passing car after car, only to run out of time as the race laps wound down.

“I can’t help but think that my DHL Honda should have been in victory lane today,” the frustrated driver said. “The car was there when I needed it. There are very few times in your career when you have a car you are completely in line with. That’s what I had today, just like my 2014 Indianapolis 500 winning car. I don’t know what to do when the engine shuts down while we are leading. I could sound like a whiner, but I feel like I can’t do anything right. I am trying to smile, but I am very disheartened.”

Josef Newgarden put on a solid performance to garner fourth place.

Sebastien Bourdais earned fifth with some strategic moves.

Scott Dixon, Carlos Munoz, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Kanaan and James Hinchcliffe rounded out the top-10 finishers.

Pagenaud crashed out of race on the 157th lap.

A scary pit road accident on lap 67 took place when Alexander Rossi exited his pit and got hit by Charlie Kimball, who was coming in. Rossi’s car then went over the top of Castroneves narrowly missing his cockpit.

No injuries were sustained.

On the opening lap, Takuma Sato slammed the turn 3 wall, ending his day early.

ABC Supply 500 race results
LONG POND, Pa. – Results Monday of the ABC Supply 500 Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, aero kit-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (8) Will Power, Chevrolet, 200, Running
2. (1) Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, 200, Running
3. (22) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 200, Running
4. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 200, Running
5. (18) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 200, Running
6. (19) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 200, Running
7. (5) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 200, Running
8. (15) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 200, Running
9. (9) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 200, Running
10. (6) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 200, Running
11. (11) Graham Rahal, Honda, 200, Running
12. (13) Marco Andretti, Honda, 200, Running
13. (17) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 200, Running
14. (12) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 200, Running
15. (16) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 199, Running
16. (20) Conor Daly, Honda, 198, Running
17. (21) Pippa Mann, Honda, 197, Running
18. (14) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 157, Contact
19. (4) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 63, Contact
20. (7) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 63, Contact
21. (10) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 57, Mechanical
22. (3) Takuma Sato, Honda, 1, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 180.198 mph
Time of Race: 2:46:28.9856
Margin of victory: 1.1459 seconds
Cautions: 4 for 20 laps
Lead changes: 29 among 9 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Aleshin 1, Newgarden 2 – 10, Aleshin 11 -31, Rossi 32 – 33, Dixon 34 – 35, Bourdais 36 – 37, Aleshin 38 – 48, Hunter-Reay 49 – 55, Aleshin 56 – 60, Newgarden 61, Rossi 62 – 63, Power 64 – 65, Aleshin 66 – 89, Hunter-Reay 90 – 93, Newgarden 94 – 95, Kanaan 96, Dixon 97, Power 98 – 99, Aleshin 100 – 119, Hunter-Reay 120 – 122, Newgarden 123 – 125, Power 126 – 128, Pagenaud 129, Aleshin 130 – 133, Hunter-Reay 134 – 150, Power 151 – 156, Bourdais 157, Power 158 – 163, Aleshin 164, Power 165 – 200

Verizon IndyCar Series Point Standings: Pagenaud 497, Power 477, Newgarden 397, Dixon 386, Castroneves 384, Kanaan 380, Munoz 354, Hinchcliffe 349, Rahal 343, Kimball 333.

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